Someone to Care
by Elizabeth234
Summary: What happens when everyone makes an assumption about their friendly neighborhood spider? (Gender bend Peter Parker!)
1. Chapter One

This was all an accident to start with. In the beginning, she was no more than a yellow flag Friday notified him of. Some unusual activity was happening around Queens and Friday thought it was worth looking into. But, at the time Tony was busy with a million other things so he pushed it aside. It wasn't until he woke up, heart pounding, sweat drenching his clothes, that he found it. Tony could only walk around his floor of the tower so many times, trying to stave off sleep. Walking down to the kitchen he grabbed a glass of water and went to his lab. The tile was cold against his bare feet as the lights lit up around him.

Smiling smugly, he thought Pepper would be so proud of him: Reading emails, contributing to the company, and being responsible. It was amazing all the junk he was supposed to do. With a mildly guilty feeling he forwarded most of the mail to Pepper's assistant, Sam or Sarah or something. He would have to make sure to send her some extra vacation days to say thank you.

Bored of doing company tasks he decided to look through the stuff Friday set aside for him. There were no emergency flags and the yellow notices caught his eye. Someone had reported seeing the Hulk. A pang caught in his chest and he stuffed down the hope that started blooming. It wasn't Bruce. He had left, disappeared. Tony was sure of it. They had caught a signal in the sea but when he went to search later, Bruce had been nowhere to be found. Tony quickly deleted that and moved on.

Next was more of a folder really. Filled with videos and local news clippings of some person helping the people of New York, centered on the Queens area. Returning a lost bike, fixing potholes and even rescuing a kitten from a tree were just some of the articles in the folder. Tony snorted at that last one.

One curious thing was that there wasn't much actual footage. The best video featured a blur of blue and red on the edges of the screen. Intrigued, he began to look further into the folder.

The local news had interviewed a few witnesses, all holding nothing substantial.

There was one interview of an older gentleman that held some promise. He had sung the praises of the masked individual after he had helped him and his wife one afternoon.

"We had ordered Zelda's new chair the other week. They were supposed to bring it in and help us figure out how to put it together," He said. His wife, Zelda, had been confined to a wheelchair for about five years and he had to use a cane so moving about was difficult. "The company just left it on the porch and I was trying to bring it into the house. Darn thing was way too heavy for me to lift up, let only carry inside. Then all the sudden this kid in a mask appeared out of nowhere. Asked if I needed help. Well, you know me," He gave a smile to someone behind the camera, "I was about to say 'Thanks but no thanks' when he lifted the box up with one hand. Imagine that! He just carried it in the house no problem. Wonder what they are putting in the water now days. Sure could use it these days. The boy didn't even sound out of breath, although it would have been hard to tell with that mask on." He scratched his chin in thought. "Did you see those eye glasses on him? Were sure weird. But I can't complain. Not only that but he even stayed and helped me put it together for my sweet Zelda." It then went on to show a charmingly blurry picture of an elderly lady sitting in a wheelchair with what looked to be stacked books all over the room.

The news lady finished the story by saying that no one else had seen the masked person and that he had gone right after helping the Fitzpatricks. Although, the masked helper did accept a sandwich and cookie to take on the road.

He was seen later that week chasing after a mugger who had stolen a purse. "Masked subject suspected harmless. If any information available please call the hotline now," was how the segment ended.

Tony sat back in his chair. His eyes out of focus as he took off his glasses. "Fri, watch out for anymore news or sightings of this person. Make sure to add it to this file and send me an alert." It would be lying to say he wasn't intrigued. Why did the kid take the time to help these ordinary people out with their every day problems?

* * *

Cracking his back he said goodnight to Friday, though instead of heading to his room, he went into the next level of his lab and started to tinker around with his suit. Tony was much too wired awake to try and go back asleep. It had nothing to do with the fact he didn't want any repeat dreams from earlier that night.

It was silent in the lab until a voice interrupted his work. Blinking, he saw Pepper come down the stairs as Friday brightened the lights and opened the windows. He quickly tried to remember if he had something to do today but couldn't think of anything important on his docket.

Plastering a smile onto his face he rose to give her a hug. "Pep. To what do I owe this pleasant drop by? Missing my gorgeous face?" He leaned his hip on the table, arms crossed. She stared back, un-amused, and seemed to be waiting for him to say something else. They stayed silent for a moment and with a sigh she turned away, asking Friday to display something.

What looked like a schedule showed up in front of both of them. "Tony, you promised me you wouldn't forget. Today was the big board meeting."

He stared at her blankly.

"You know, the one where you had to go and charm all the uniforms. General Ross was supposed to be there"

Still nothing.

"The meeting we scheduled weeks ago because you didn't have anything planned."

With a sigh, she threw her hands into the air.

"I cannot believe it. I cannot believe that I trusted you. Again, Tony."

"Whoa, whoa. Pep. There's got to be some mistake. There's no meeting today. I made sure I wouldn't forget. It's supposed to be the 22nd of September. When have I ever let you down?" She should've been so impressed but looked the exact opposite. After all, it wasn't every time they had a meeting he took the time to memorize it. In fact, he didn't remember the last time he had even been to a meeting. Usually Pepper took care of all of it for him and he was happy to not be involved. He was so busy being Iron Man it was hard to run a company and if he were being honest with himself he just didn't have the patience. It was too much like having a child, too much responsibility.

Pepper could see how hard he was trying and felt something soften in her chest. Try, as she might, she couldn't bring herself to be completely angry. The confused look he was giving her wore down her reserve. Glancing toward the ceiling she let out a long breath and started to move toward the stairs. Her heels were the only sound permeating the room.

"Pep. Hey, Pep. Wait up! See I remembered it's not today. It's the 22nd of September. Wait!"

"Friday, please inform Mr. Stark of today's date."

"Sir, it is the 22nd of September. You had the board meeting this morning which I did remind you of."

Tony didn't know what to say and started to feel a blush make its way up his neck and congregate in his cheeks. Grabbing Pepper's hand in his, he tried to say something but it lodged itself in his throat. She must have noticed something in his expression and took pity on him.

"I know. Really, I do. I just had hoped this time would be different." She extracted her hand from his and handed him the paperwork he had missed. "Make sure you sign all these and give them to Selena by tomorrow morning. We're running out of time Tony. I've got to go now, but I'll talk to you later on."

Tony was still glued to the floor, mute as he watched her walk away: ashamed for once again letting her down.

"And Tony," she glanced back at him with a small smile on her face, "Make sure you take a shower. You look terrible." A sad laugh left her as she let herself out of the apartment.

The click of the door shutting released Tony from the spell. He stumbled over to the couch and sat down. Running a hand through his hair, he could feel the grease building up. The shame he felt throughout the conversation once again rose and he felt tiny pricks at the back of his eyes. Why must he always do this? Promise something and then fall through. It seemed like that was what his life was now. Failed promises. But what was he supposed to do? Contrary to popular belief he wasn't a total narcissist and unfeeling person. That was just the persona he hid behind, an inheritance left to him by Howard. He never set out to let people down. It just sort of happened, ever since Tony could remember. He was disappointing someone.

He fell back, throwing his wrist over his eyes, "All the money in the world and I have the most uncomfortable couch."

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter Two

Tony realized that had been the beginning of it. But after that initial discovery, life moved on. Nothing really noticeable changed or happened for Tony to understand then, but he could now.

After a long day of work or as more often was the case, being jarred awake by his dreams, he often found himself looking into the kid's folder. 'The kid' had become the official title of the masked person in Tony's mind. Reading the stories and seeing the small heroic acts the kid did, gave Tony heart; often times just calming him down enough to be able to fall back asleep at his desk. The kindness he showed people really struck something in Tony. But a dark sensation lurked in the back of his mind. People weren't normally so altruistic. In Tony's experience the only reason people did anything nice was to get something for themselves. That's just how it was; even Tony was like that. Howard always taught him to obtain the best for you, no matter what and that often left a trail of broken things behind. But it seemed like nothing was too small or too time consuming for the kid. It was that kind of dedication to people that reminded him of Cap. He winced at that thought.

Although many times Tony felt ancient compared to the people around him this person gave off an especially youthful presence, hence the nickname. The age and name of the kid were unknown, Tony hadn't dug deeper than necessary at this point, but the stats did seem to back his assumption of youth. Tony would have to say he was around 20. According to the data he was active occasionally during daytime, but mostly after 5 p.m. and frequently was seen in the area of a local college campus. From the compiled list of feats, Tony expected him to have higher than average muscle density or some kind of enhancement, but it was hard to tell. The media loved him when they found a story. Most were overtly positive in their findings, only a few spouting more negative reviews.

And then the jackpot happened. Someone had gotten a photo of the kid and it might have been the sweetest thing Tony had ever seen. One of his arms was filled to the brim with grocery bags, the other loose at his side, empty except for a withered hand clinging to his bicep. The kid towered over the lady, as he made sure they made it across the busy intersection. Although from looking at the photo Tony didn't think he was very tall, shorter than Tony at least.

The most astonishing thing about it was the costume the kid wore. It was a bright red and blue tracksuit that looked like it came out of a 70's workout ad; complete with what looked like leg warmers. An actual red vest zipped up the front. The whole ensemble looked ill-fitting and hid everything about the kid's body. It was a wonder how he could actually move around in it and the colors did nothing but attract attention. He sported a red mask that covered his head with some homemade eyepieces attached at the front, looking like oversized tanning goggles. The outfit looked ridiculous and had Tony's fingers itching to go to work. He could practically feel the potential now that he had seen it.

So far the media had come up with a diverse group of nicknames, all of which had Tony cringing. The worst included 'The Stinkbug' and 'Peace Preserver,' or 'PP' for short. The last one, from what Tony could find started because the kid had shown up at a protest in Manhattan and stopped a fight that had broken out between the participants and law enforcement. His presence alone shocked the people enough to stop any arguing but the reports said that he talked to both sides and cooled down the tumultuous environment. Not using anything besides his voice.

The first nickname, Tony assumed, was because stinkbugs were a red and blue color. Not the most flattering bug to be named after. Most of the other names circled around an insect theme because of the graphic design on the front of his vest that looked vaguely like one. An interview that was never broadcast alluded to more, but with all things that was never going to stop Tony.

Nine-year-old Brenden had been dared by his friends to climb up the escape ladder on his mother's apartment. Normally, the stairs were closed off but some maintenance worker had forgotten to close it after she was done working. Brenden, a nice but shy boy had just moved to town with his mother. Tony could sympathize with wanting to make friends. So he climbed all the way up to the top of the stairs, the other boys trailing behind him watching him complete the dare.

But something had happened and the fire escape had swung upward and disconnected the stairs, separating the group of boys. No one was hurt but poor Brenden was stuck at the top of the stairs, clinging on for dear life. The other boys raced down the stairs, not wanting to get in trouble. When all the sudden Brenden saw a blur descend the building and the kid had appeared right next to him.

"We climbed down the wall," he said, practically vibrating from his mothers lap. "They talked to me and helped me down the wall. It was just like a spider. Thank you Spiderman!"

Now, most people assumed this meant that he and the boy took the stairs, jumping past the gap, which to a child seemed large but was only a small obstacle to an adult. Tony thought differently. It was crazy but hell; the world had been crazy for a while. He believed that the kid had actually climbed down the wall with Brenden. Tony could just imagine him picking Brenden up in a type of pseudo hug, stomach-to-stomach, arms curled protectively around the overwhelmed child, and crawling toward his mother's waiting arms. Somehow, Tony bet the kid could stick or magnetize to the walls or something. The technology must be damn advanced to work on any surface. And that would explain how there was limited footage of the kid, how he always managed to get away quickly. The moniker had stuck and to the public the kid became known as Spiderman.

His lips stretched across his face. Tony could deal with crazy. In fact at this point he was probably addicted to it. After New York and Sokovia and everything else, crazy had become a staple in his life. "Easy does it, Tony." He muttered to himself. There was no reason to go down that rabbit hole.

Those few late nights slowly turned into weeks and soon he had Friday constantly scanning for the kid. It had become habit, a small tick. Boring meeting, check the feed. Bad dream, check the feed. Hiding from Pepper, hell, hiding from anyone. Check the feed.

* * *

Oh, how it all seemed so simple in the beginning.

He wiped his hand across the foggy mirror and stared. The dark moons under his eye were sunken in and stood out against the pale color of his skin. He felt naked, standing before the mirror. Not because he wasn't wearing any clothes but because there was an absence of metal enclosing around him. Stubble scattered down his cheek and Tony realized his signature goatee was getting lost amidst the other hair. Sighing, he started to shave his face and felt a twinge in his left arm as he raised it to his face.

Tony was still actively working on getting his shit together, as he had most of his life. The bad days were still lingering at a steady pace. His late nights would bleed into the mornings and his eyes were so weary they couldn't focus until he practically collapsed wherever he was. He tried to remember to eat, for the most part. And not think about … things.

Pepper would visit, mostly to go over work. They weren't seeing each other at the moment but Tony missed her still; missed them. But he knew this was the best for her. He was a mess and she needed something better, someone better. He wondered if she was dating anyone new.

It was a fall day when everything went to the dogs. All the drama combusted with Cap, and Tony knew he had to do something. Not just because Ross expected him to solve it but he found himself feeling responsible for the rift in the Avengers. Desperate, he started actively searching for the kid. He knew it was wrong and had told himself at the beginning to respect the kid's privacy. The information was easily in his grasp but he had decided not to take it. Now it was different. With great reluctance Tony started to look into the kid, keeping in mind not to dig too much. Only to find the bare essentials. He wanted to give the kid the most discretion he could, it was obviously important to him and Tony respected that. He didn't know why but something in his gut told him not to pry too much.

That hadn't been a big concern for Tony. Hell, one of the first things he did was crash a party to show off the fact that he was Iron Man, the sounds of awe and disbelief still rung in his ears. But he could understand the need for secrecy. It wasn't like he had anyone close to protect. He was living alone in the tower now.

It was time to meet Spiderman.

* * *

Please let me know what you think.

Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter Three

He decided that talking to the kid would be the most beneficial way to get his point across. It was definitely not because Tony was curious. He was Tony Stark, hero, billionaire, saved the world multiple times. The kid was small town. He cringed at the callous thought.

It was about a week ago that he had Friday compile all the data he had been collecting; analyzing what times and places the kid appeared the most. Tony thought that a face-to-face, or rather mask-to-mask meeting might be the best way to start. He would be able to talk to the kid, give him all the information and hopefully he would listen. The kid would just have to; Tony was out of options.

It was late afternoon and the sun was glinting around the buildings in a halo like manner. Tony was in the air, en route to Queens. The light reflected off of his suit and spread hues of fire onto the glass panes as he passed.

"Friday, check the local news stations and social media. Any sightings?"

"Nothing yet, Boss."

That was fine, completely normal. It was close to the optimal hour Spiderman normally made an appearance. Tony had all the time in the world and took another wide loop around a group of buildings. He hadn't just flown around in a while and missed the calming feel of gliding through the air.

It was with luck a little while later that he spotted a splotch of red on a roof.

Swinging around he contemplated the best way to go about this. The kid was sitting on one of the spikes, casually lounging on an overhang. It made Tony's stomach clench to see one of his legs dangling in the air. Shaking his head he decided he didn't want to startle the kid from behind. Tony didn't know how alert he was and accidentally cause him to fall.

Tony could tell the moment the kid saw him as his posture went instantly rigid. The kid stood up slowly and backed up to step onto the roof. He was looking around but his head kept swiveling back to Tony, who was hovering in the air in front of him. Tony raised his hands in a sign of peace and landed in front of the kid. After looking around for another 30 seconds, the kid's eyes, what Tony assumed where his eyes, stayed on his mask.

He was shocked at how small the boy was. That aspect of his physicality never came through in the footage Tony had found but there was at least a head and a half difference between them. It took his nickname to a whole new level. His gloves were scrunched at his sides and his spine could rival a level. The kid resembled more of a cornered animal than a superhero. An uncomfortable itching feeling migrated down his back.

Tony never felt awkward. It was one of his defense mechanisms; his therapist had told him many times. Anytime he could feel his nerves coming up, he automatically brought out the more arrogant side of him out. It was one of the reasons the media either hated or loved him so much.

"I'm Iron Man. But you can just call me Tony." Silence. The kid shifted back and forth on the balls of his feet and again he glanced behind him to another building, an escape. At once Tony gave a command and the faceplate of his helmet swung upward. It was just another barrier between them and Tony wanted to remove those as fast as possible. He couldn't have the kid leave before they had even exchanged a few words.

With a deep breath Tony once again channeled his inner charisma; he could do this. "Here's the deal, kid." The kid's face whipped back to stare at Tony. "I'm in some hot water and I need all the help I can get. I've seen your work and I'm a big fan. I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me out." He flashed the kid his signature smile.

"Uh, Hello, Mr. Stark. Sir." The kid's hands slowly loosened up but didn't rise to meet Tony's outstretched appendage.

Tony was surprised at the register of the kid's voice. It was different than what he imagined but he couldn't quite place why. Blinking, he wondered how young the kid actually was and if it was right of Tony to ask for his help.

"Kid, Mr. Stark was my father. Call me Tony." The kid was silent again and seemed hesitant to reply. "What do you think? Care to help an old man out? A free trip to Germany on a private jet is involved."

"I've, uh, never flown on a plane before." The words flowed quicker now, giving away some excitement. His voice went up higher, but it was hard to tell what he was actually feeling because of the mask. Tony wished he would take it off but remembered that he had promised himself not to push to hard. Not to spook the kid, to gain his trust.

"Never? Well, we'll have to change that, won't we?" He took a step closer and noticed the kid took a small shuffle back. Unperturbed, Tony continued forward, small steps at a time until he clapped the kid of the shoulder. Making no notice of the flinch and stillness that followed. "But before we have you flying across the globe, there are a few things we need to go over first."

* * *

They went on to exchange information. The whole time the kid had barely spoken and his body movements were cautious. Tony had seen his fair share of awe-struck individuals and wasn't quite sure that was it.

Not wanting to intrude too much, he wished the kid a good night and leapt from the roof, flying back to Avengers Tower. After a shower Tony sat behind his desk scrolling through his phone absentmindedly, thinking of how Spiderman had acted.

That wasn't exactly how he'd imagined their first conversation happening, if conversation was what you could call it. Tony had done the majority of the talking but the kid had seemed receptive to what Tony was saying. He thought he would meet a calm, suave guy. Greet him standing, hands clasped behind his back like every boss in any movie ever. Basically he was picturing a smaller version of himself. His therapist would probably have a field trip with that. Tony's charm would accordingly take over and the kid would be in awe of not just Iron Man but of Tony Stark as well.

But instead Tony had been introduced to a frighteningly small individual who couldn't seem to complete more than one sentence at a time. One who flinched at physical contact. Yeah, it could have been because of who he was, but Tony thought it was something more. This interaction just made Tony more and more curious. Just who was Spiderman?

With that thought reverberating through his mind Tony set to work.

Ding.

His back cracked as he sat up. "Friday, what time is it?"

"It is 6:30 am, Sir." Damn. He had spent the whole night working again. His back and eyes were aching but at least his head wasn't pounding from any late night beverages he had.

Friday gave him a reminder to eat breakfast. Embarrassing though it was, Tony often forgot to eat. His stay in Afghanistan hadn't helped this already bad habit. He and Yinsen constantly had to share any meals their captives remembered to bring: Tony many times went without in order to help the doctor keep his strength.

It had been troublesome trying to cope with being back, let alone eating normally and troublesome was an understatement. With encouragement from Pepper, he told Friday to remind him when he needed to eat. His ears heated up remembering that conversation. And conversation was a nice term for it. Pepper was worried, which wasn't new, but the way she had looked at Tony made his chest clench. The shame and desire to please had bubbled inside him until he abided by her wishes. Even Friday had sounded worried during their talk.

Deep down Tony felt something else he couldn't name, but it felt good, to know someone cared enough to argue about his health. To know someone cared enough.

Getting up, Tony asked Friday if he had any notifications. "Sir, you have a text message from an unknown number."

Tony sighed, cautious as to what it could be. "Bring it up please, Fri." He glanced down at his phone. It wasn't unusual that someone managed to get his number or claimed to know him in an attempt at some type of blackmail. He'd even gotten a message proposing marriage once.

Oh. Pleasantly surprised, Tony continued reading.

Dear Mr. Stark,

I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to help the Avengers, to help you. I went through all the paperwork you gave me and wanted to inform you I accept your proposal. I understand all the ramifications this would entail and do not accept flippantly. I can be ready, whenever. Thank you, again.

His first reaction was to smirk at the formal message. Who wrote a text messages like that? But mostly Tony was surprised. He thought it would take the kid awhile to get back to him, had planned for it at least. He had given him a bunch of paper work and documents, including the Accords. It had been uncomfortable putting it all together but he wanted the kid to make an informed decision, see all the sides.

Tony had been secretly afraid that the kid would not take his side; that he would think Tony was wrong and that Cap was right. "To help you," echoed in his mind. He didn't even realize how concerned he was until he felt a weight lift from his mind. The kid sided with him. He thought Tony was in the right or at least as right as anyone could be given this impossible situation.

No, don't think about it yet. Tony knew he wasn't right, but he knew Cap was even more not right. And he needed all the help he could get.

Tony figured with enough people on his side, they could just intimidate Cap and the rest into cooperating. There would be no need for any actual fighting. Sure, tensions would be high but he would have Cap back. Everyone would be together again and they could work on it from there. But right now, not knowing what was happening, was not working for Tony.

He just had to talk to Cap. If they could just sit down and talk, he could explain and then Cap could explain. And then they would be able to go back home. Handle the real stuff, not this overblown production.

He knew that Cap had gathered some people on his side. He had Friday keep tabs on everything, wanting to be prepared. And now he had Spiderman. Sure, not exactly as he had envisioned but he should never assume anyway. Reality never followed fantasy and he was happy. Beyond happy; the kid had agreed. He just had to make sure that nothing happened to him. Now that Spiderman was Team Iron Man, he was officially under Tony's protection. Tony really wished that this wouldn't come to violence and with everything in him hoped that they could talk. Talk and move on, how hard could that be?

"To help you."

Sighing, Tony shook his head. He needed to finish planning.

* * *

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Please let me know what you think.

Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter Four

Tony was oddly nervous. Scratch that, it seemed that lately anytime he thought about the kid he would feel like he was standing on the edge of a canyon. They were going to meet. Face to face. Without any masks.

They selected some small cafe called The Split Bean near Queens, which was where the kid was from he guessed. After messaging back and forth a few times Tony just wanted to make certain the kid knew what he was getting into. He wanted to see his face and know that he wasn't doing this because Tony Stark was asking him, but because he thought it was right.

On a more positive note, Tony was going to show him the suit. It wasn't completely finished but with the deadline coming up, Tony wanted the kid to have time to practice and get used to the new tech. He wasn't sure what the kids fighting style was, if he had one at all, and he still needed to program some of the more complex logistics. Which took time to upgrade it.

It would be quite a bit different than the sweat suit he was using now. Snorting to himself, Tony sat down with his coffee. He pictured the clumpy and ill-fitting suit. Yes, this new one would work much better. After all, he had designed it and had even added some new tricks up its sleeve, so to speak.

He had made sure to get to the cafe earlier than their designated time in order to scope the place out. It was quaint, comfortable. The wood tables were worn and a gentle flow of music seeped out of the walls. He sipped the coffee and was surprised at how good it was. Setting the drink down, Tony looked around. Almost time.

It was pretty late so there weren't too many people here. A couple sat in the corner to his left; whispering and laughing at something the other said. There was a man with headphones in, eyes glazed over. Tony could empathize with that. Sometimes you just couldn't get anything done. The barista was busy drawing a geometric design around the new promotion on a black board. It was an intricate drawing and he had winked and wished Tony a nice evening when he ordered. Tony would have to make sure to make some donation to the coffee shop.

The door rang and a blast of cold air seeped through the air at the same time that Friday had alerted him to some updates about Caps whereabouts. She had spotted some minor movements that could be connected to their group.

A throat cleared and caught his attention. There stood a girl. A young woman. She was much shorter than he was and her bangs, which cut straight across her forehead, were curly like the rest of her chocolate colored hair. The girl's face was clear of makeup and her large brown eyes rested just above his left ear. Her feet kept shifting back and forth and Tony wondered if he was in her spot or something. He went to get up but stopped at the sound of a voice: the voice from the roof.

"Hi, um Mr. Stark, Sir." Tony froze in realization. If the tone hadn't given it away, the formality of address was enough to stop any doubts.

How could this have happened and how could Tony have missed this? The kid was a girl. Why hadn't he just bit the bullet and had Friday tell him all the information she had obtained?

_Because you didn't want to pry._ A thought came sneaking up from the back of his mind.

It didn't really matter and, of course, didn't change anything. Tony was just shocked. And then his shock heated and bubbled when he realized how much he had assumed about the kid. How much he had borrowed from his inner notions of what a hero should be. He remembered his indignation at meeting a quieter figure on the roof and thinking it strange that they hadn't acted more like himself.

Tony would just have to get used to it is all. He looked up from the table and the girl's face was bright red. Vision would have had a run for his money. Swallowing, he felt the tips of his ears heat up at making her wait.

"Here," She said and thrust a small brown bag onto his side of the table. Tony stared blankly and looked up. "It's a scone. I wasn't sure if you wanted anything to eat." She looked away towards the end of the sentence, her voice getting quieter with each word.

Tony wasn't sure what to do. Two surprises right in a row and he was acting like he had just stepped foot on this planet. He didn't know the last time someone spent money on him. Most people just assumed he was going to pay for everything and he was okay with that. He had money, why not use it? A bonus was it often gave him leverage over less savory people. But this person, this practical stranger bought him something for no other reason than to be nice. He felt even worse for assuming anything about her.

"It's blueberry. You don't have to eat…" She started before he interrupted.

"Sorry kid," He said with a smile. "It looks great. Thank you. Sit down and please just Tony. Blueberry is my favorite" And damned if it didn't become his favorite flavor as soon as he saw a pleased come over her face. As he spoke he gestured to the seat her hands were resting on. Oh, her hands were so small.

She looked around and slid, silently, into the seat.

Tony took a moment to assess her. Her head was turned slightly down, shoulders were hunched over, and a frown tugged at her lips. She seemed so young.

Okay, be the adult here Tony.

"So, how was your day?" He cringed. Was that the best Tony Stark could do? But as soon as that thought crossed his mind she looked up from beneath her eyelashes and gave a small smile. That was progress.

"It was good. You?" Short, but she still replied.

"Never been better, kid. Friday, you'll meet her later, was just telling me about some movement that is relevant to the situation."

Her smile waned and a glint of anger flashed in her eyes. Tony wasn't quite sure what to make of that.

"Mr. Stark. I just wanted to say," A deep breath, "I just wanted to start off by saying that I'm sorry."

Tony blanched at that. What the hell did she have to be sorry for? Was she pulling out? He wouldn't have been surprised but Tony was disheartened to hear it. He had been excited to start working with her. It was one of the few things recently he had put energy into. She had asked some complicated questions that had shown thought and intelligence that had Tony wanting to converse more. But even more prominent was the shock that she came in person to do it. He would have probably just sent an email or would have gotten Sasha to do it.

He put his hands up in a sign of defeat. "Hey, kid. It's okay. I get it. Thank you for coming to tell me in person." He went to stand up but was stopped when a hand landed on his forearm. Tony didn't think he could have moved if he wanted to.

If possible the kid's face looked even redder and she was biting her lip. Slowly, she applied pressure and Tony sank back to his seat. She stared at her hand as if it had acted without her approval, but a steely resolve came over her mien.

"I think- I think that you misunderstood me, Mr. Stark." She looked right at him. The brown in her eyes swirling like a tide pool. "I'm not turning down your offer. I just wanted to say I think Mr. Captain America is wrong, Sir. I think what he is doing is wrong and I'm sorry that you have to fix it and I'm here to help in anyway I can."

Tony sat there stunned into silence, once again, for who knows how long. This girl was too much. First the scone and now she was apologizing for something out of the realm of her responsibility. A buzzing noise swarmed in his mind. The kid looked just as uncomfortable after the speech she made but she didn't look ashamed. In fact, if Tony was a betting man, and he wasn't anymore, he would have said that she looked proud.

He went back to picking around the edges of the scone bag when a hand entered his field of vision.

The pads of her fingers were calloused and her nails were trimmed and polished in multi-colors. Tony favored the red color on her middle finger. Slowly, he shook it and noticed the difference in size and strength between the two.

"I'm Peyton, Peyton Parker. It's nice to meet you." Tony smiled at her name.

"And I'm Tony Stark. Billionaire, Philanthropist and playboy… Um green energy supernova." Her eyebrows rose mockingly at his hesitation but she smiled widely and lit up the room.

* * *

Looking back on it Tony was grateful for many of the insights she gave about the situation, quiet though she was at first. As they continued on with their conversation, Peyton became more outgoing in her comments. And when Tony asked for her advice on a tactic, she looked like he asked her if she wanted a million dollars.

Yes, it had gone rather well. The two of them moved on from talking about the situation to more of the technical aspects of the Iron Man suit. Tony was astonished to learn that she guessed many of the ins and outs of the arc reactor and it had been pleasant to talk with someone who understood what it was. Once their mugs were long drained they walked out to his car. Tony presented her the case and when she saw the suit, she flipped. Literally, a backflip.

She lost all inhibitions in her face and again the sun was shining.

"Thank you. Thank you, Thank… Mr. Stark. It looks amazing! You made this? I can't thank you enough!" She said bouncing in place.

"Easy there, kid. You haven't even seen it in action yet. We still have to calibrate it and change any settings that bother you. You'll need to come to the lab and we can fine tune anything you know will help you out. I will need to adjust some of the algorithms in it and..." He trailed off when he caught sight of her face, so different than it had been before.

It was now a pink tone and her hands had a slight tremble. He wasn't sure if it was from the excitement or something else.

"Really, Mr. Stark. This is one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me." He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed slightly.

"Think nothing of it kid. I enjoyed doing it." She nodded at that and gave another smile.

That delicate smile had been worth every hour he had spent working on it, Tony thought. It had been so sincere and had shone through her eyes.

He still felt good, remembering it. Hell, he was still thinking about it a week afterward. Her reaction was everything he had hoped for. The kid, Peyton, had appreciated the work he put in; had been so sincere about it. Tony knew that the other people in his life appreciated him but for some reason this felt different.

The kid was so different than he had first thought. She was so much more.

Tony really needed to call her by her name but it was what he had been calling her for what seemed like forever. And you know what they say about old habits.

* * *

So nervous to see Endgame today!

Let me know what you think. Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter Five

Here's the next one. This is kind of part one of two, I think. It was too long together so I split them up. Hope everyone has a good Monday!

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The kid was coming over to the tower today and Tony was going to get a first hand look at her abilities, to test out the new suit. It inflated Tony's ego a little to find out that he had been right out the walls. She could climb them. How cool was that? The kid could climb walls. He needn't have been so worried about her falling off of the building. He had tried asking her how she had gotten these powers but it seemed almost rude to ask. They didn't really know each other that well yet and it seemed like a personal topic. If asked how he became Iron Man he wouldn't have answered. Maybe just gave the press story of what happened, it wasn't something he liked to dwell on.

As with before, they were meeting later in the day. Tony didn't really think much of it. A lot of people had to work during the day and he was sure Spidergirl wasn't her main gig. He sometimes felt out of touch with people because he didn't share in the everyday hardships they faced. Then he remembered all the good things that came with being rich.

She said she didn't need a ride and Tony wasn't sure he wanted to have Happy go drag her around just yet. He didn't want her to think he was keeping tabs on her, their trust still tentative. And more so, he didn't want to tell anyone about her yet. Tony knew it was strange but it just didn't feel right throwing her in with the rest of the avengers and wasn't even sure if that's what she wanted right now. He wanted to get to know her better first before telling everyone who she was.

There was also the challenge of asking her what she wanted to do about the media. Firstly, with the slicker design of the new suit it would be a lot easier to tell her gender compared to the one she was wearing now. That would surely catch the attention of the media. And secondly, if she was going to be coming in and out of the tower they needed a plausible excuse. Tony didn't exactly live with much privacy and a new person hanging around would draw notice. He would have to think on it if that was going to happen. It wasn't a given that the kid would want to be around him any longer than this mission spanned.

Today would be the perfect start. Tensions had already broken at the coffee shop and now the fun stuff could begin. Fun, if Tony didn't think of the reason they were meeting in the first place.

He was also excited to show off his lab to be honest. It wasn't everyday that he met someone who was interested in that side of himself. He had a feeling Peyton would be interested, considering their last conversation.

The phone rang and he ignored it, focusing instead on some last minute touches to her suit. It rang again and Tony sighed before accepting.

"Tony Stark can't come to the phone right now. You may not leave a message."

"Damn it, Stark. This isn't a joke. We have a serious problem on our hands and it had better be fixed soon."

"Now, now Ross. Is that anyway of talking to the man you are resting your hopes with?" It was always fun to see if Tony could get a rise out of him. And true to form, Ross didn't disappoint.

"See here, Stark. I have been very patient with you. Giving you time and letting Captain America run amok but now I've come to collect. I expect…" and Tony hung up on him.

Yes, it was amusing to get Ross all riled up but Tony wasn't in the mood to listen to another lecture. He knew what he had to do and, if he had bothered to let Ross know, was actually working on a plan as they spoke.

"Boss, a Miss Peyton is here to see you." Just in time, he thought. A grin came over his face and he started toward the elevator.

The elevator doors opened and there she was, sitting down on one of the lobby couches. Her hair was bunched in a ponytail, sitting at the top of her head. Because it was so short little wisps were escaping on the bottom half, curling around the nape of her neck. Her eyes were focused on the giant fish tanks in the middle of the lobby, slowly following a suckerfish cruising around the bottom.

Walking over he noticed the dark circles under her eyes but thought that she looked much more relaxed than before.

"Hey Kid. How's it going?" She glanced at him, eyes widened and a blush formed over her cheeks.

"Hi, Mr. Stark. I'm okay. How are you?" They started walking back towards the elevator.

"Just great kid. Living the life and all that. Going to test the new gear. Maybe get some shawarma later. Friday take us to the lab, please." He decided not to think on the fact that he almost never allowed anyone into his personal lab.

Peyton looked around the elevator. "Mr. Stark, um, who are you talking to?"

"I'd like you to meet someone. Friday this is Peyton Parker. Peyton this is Friday." He made a vague gesture toward the air.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss."

"Oh, uh you too Mrs. Friday." Peyton turned her head downward.

"You okay kid?"

She looked back up and Tony couldn't tell whether she was going to laugh or tear up. Maybe both.

"Where are they?" She whispered. "I thought they were someone who worked for you when you mentioned them before."

"She's the AI I built. She is programmed into the building. So I guess you could say she is everywhere. She'll tell you she does most of the work around here, but don't be fooled." He said with a wink. "If you ever need anything and I'm not around, just ask her." Peyton nodded.

"I am always here Miss."

Peyton's brow furrowed and she hesitated a moment. "Please just call me Peyton Mrs. Friday and if you, um, if I can do anything too, let me know."

"Thank you Peyton."

Tony grinned at Peyton. Most people just ignored Friday, took her for granted and Tony appreciated that she didn't; even going so far as to offer assistance if needed. That would win points with Friday. The elevator doors opened, "And here we have arrived." Tony's arms lifted from his side as he spun around to face his sanctuary.

"A word of warning. Watch out for Dum-E" Pointing to the side of the room the robot was at. "He's that shifty looking one over there. Always causing trouble." And what would you know, as soon as they entered the lab Dum-E dropped a broom and darted away from a pile of broken glass.

Silence met his words and he turned back around. Peyton stood at the entrance of the room, looking as if she just entered Disney World.

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Let me know what you think. Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter Six

Hi everyone! This section is going to span three chapters in total. So this chapter is two of three!

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"This is amazing." Peyton whispered. She could tell from a cursory glance that the tech in this lab was of the best grade and every surface seemed to sparkle with possibility.

This was like her dream come true. Peyton was the first to admit that she was kind of a nerd and took pride in it. Any new equipment she had read about in science magazines was here. If she had owned a lab like this she would never have to ask Aunt May for money to buy parts or dumpster dive, which most times became a necessity.

Peyton couldn't believe that she was allowed here, let alone able use it. They had gone over some basic ground rules first but he told her that if she thought of or needed anything to just let him know and he would make it happen. Glancing up she noticed him looking at her curiously and realized that she had just been staring the whole time. But really, this was Mr. Stark's personal lab.

She brought her hand to the back of her neck and said, "Really, Mr. Stark this is awesome. Thank you for showing me."

She couldn't believe that she was actually here in Stark Towers, with the Tony Stark himself. It reminded her of the feeling she had after they had first met on that roof. Peyton was convinced she had made it up until her phone had pinged.

It had been after a particularly bad decathlon practice. She had been tired and distracted. Flash had taken advantage of her lack of focus and called her all sorts of names in front of the whole team- a more aggressive move than normal. Most of them didn't make eye contact with her and stayed silent. Peyton could practically here the thought 'better you than me,' run through their heads. It wasn't their faults anyway; Peyton had been zoning out, thinking about her patrols the night before when he had pounced.

Ned had started to say something but MJ beat him to it and reprimanded Flash. That made it even more embarrassing for Peyton: having MJ come to her rescue. She had had a small crush on MJ for a while; the girl was always so cool, not to mention wickedly smart. At first Peyton had been intimidated by the girl. She was kind of a loner, closed off to the people around her and always had a book tucked under her arm. It made Peyton self-conscious and had even got her to crack open a book or two she had seen MJ read in the lunchroom. They really didn't make great pillows.

Overtime they became tentative acquaintances; Peyton hoped friends one day. And although she appreciated the help with Flash, Peyton felt like she should have done something. Take care of the problem herself but like every other time something happened she just froze, unable to say something. In those moments she was just Peyton Parker, not Spidergirl. And Peyton could never fight back before so why should she be able to now? If only she were Spidergirl right then. She could have been able to do something. Spidergirl could do anything.

That's how she ended up on the roof that day. It calmed her, being up away from everyone and everything. Made her feel small compared to the giant buildings she sat atop of and with her leg dangling over the edge she felt like she was taking some control back. Tell danger she wouldn't be taken today.

Aunt May had been working later and later recently to pick up the slack. Ever since Uncle Ben money had been tight. Peyton had gotten several jobs but each time school or her patrols would somehow screw it up and she would get fired. Well, if she were being honest, it was her who would somehow screw it up. It was frustrating because Peyton could see the increasingly dark circles under May's eyes, could hear the phone calls to their land lord for extensions, and she would take in the fading perfume on May's sheets night after night.

Sometimes it all got too much for Peyton and climbing up on the roof would help, if just slightly. Peyton had been lost in thoughts of telling Flash to pound sand when her senses alerted her to a presence nearby. Her spidey senses didn't ring with danger but she stayed alert.

Then Iron Man appeared. He was standing right in front of her and all at once she felt like she was back as her nine-year-old self, crouching low as chaos rained around her. A towering suit of metal hovered over her in a flash and lifted her up to move her out of the way, using the gentlest touches. She remembered a voice repeatedly asking if she was all right and just like on the roof, when she gave no answer, his faceplate came off and he gave her assurances that she was.

It was a time where Peyton, in her childlike mind, hadn't realized how serious the situation was until May and Ben had ran up to her, crying and hugging her so tightly it hurt. They had not let her out of their sight for what seemed like an eternity after the convention. May had made Peyton draw a card and send a thank you note to Stark Industries. She never knew what happened to it but assumed some assistant had thrown it away.

May was always a fan of homemade cards and Peyton tried to draw the Iron Man suit with as much accuracy as she could. It took forever to get the colors just right and then write out the note inside.

The card had not done the suit justice, in her memory and now. It gleamed and reflected the sunlight streaming onto the roof from behind her. But now the presence of the masked man sent a tendril of hesitation down her spine.

Why was he here on this roof? Was he looking for her and if so, why? What would someone who had saved the world multiple times want with her, who's biggest accomplishment was getting into high school?

After a pause, he removed his mask and there stood Tony Stark, the most famous man in the world and one of Peyton's role models. That tendril rooted itself in her spine and turned ridged. What if he expected her to take off the mask? There was no way she was ready for that, no matter who he was.

Peyton was very much aware of what the news said about her. She avidly watched all the reports about herself. May had thought she had a crush on Spiderman because she was always rushing to see him on the news. Most of the time it was a good laugh, to see what new theory they had about who and what she was. But really she just wanted to make sure her real identity was secret, safe.

It had honestly never been her intention for people to assume she was a boy. When she first got her powers the only outfit that would work was a tracksuit Peyton found in the back of their junk closet. She suspected it was left there from one of May's workout kicks. It didn't really fit but it was functional and it was free. A plus was that Peyton didn't really care if it got ruined from her outings.

She supposed that the suit was one of the first reasons that led people to assume she was a boy. The other issue was that most famous superheroes were boys. Physically and with her powers she was stronger than anybody she had ever met. Way stronger than the one mugger she caught trying to get a lady's purse back. She actually had to make sure she was extra gentle in stopping him; afraid she could seriously hurt the man. When she had first got her powers, she had started to test out how far her strength could go. At first just trying to lift heavy items but nothing had really been enough. One time she even punched a cement wall and caused most of it to crumble under her hand.

It had gotten out of hand from there and what was she supposed to do? It wasn't like she could go around with a sign saying, "I'm actually a girl." So she had just left the people to their guesses, trying not to mind that it wasn't really her they were talking about. It was 'Spiderman' and protecting May was more important. Selfishly, protecting her own life was important to Peyton as well. She didn't want to be constantly followed around by the paparazzi or have people snooping into every one of her secrets. High school was hard enough as it was and adding Spidergirl into the mix would make it a lot more complicated.

She was not ready to reveal herself to anyone, let alone her idol. What if he thought she wasn't worthy? Would he tell the whole world about who she was? Tell Aunt May? It made her increasingly anxious and she looked around for a quick escape.

Then he spoke and she was so caught up in her fear it was hard for her to understand but the smile he gave helped her to concentrate. The same smile he had given her when he had set her down at the convention. No one with that nice a smile could harm her and her spidey senses were quiet. She realized that he was waiting for a response. Stammering out a reply she couldn't believe that she was having a real conversation with Iron Man.

Not only that but she couldn't believe that he had asked for her help! It was crazy and looking back on it, she wasn't sure how she managed to stand there; let alone talk with him. But he never mad fun of her, never even looked like he was loosing patience. The whole time on the roof he was kind. That's the only way to describe him, gentle. Just like the man who had saved her six years ago.

Not at all like the Tony Stark of the press that she always saw. Although she was weary of the validity of anything they posted from personal experience, they were known to get a thing or two right. But she was glad that this was something they got wrong. The news seemed to have a sort of vendetta against Mr. Stark.

After he had said goodnight, Peyton wasn't even sure if she responded. He flew off and she continued to stand there, going over every single detail before jumping off and returning to May's apartment.

The rest of the night was a daze. It was probably a good thing May was still at work because Peyton couldn't have strung together a sentence if she tried. She thought she remembered Mr. Stark saying he was a big fan of hers. A big fan. That was just too much to take.

After making herself dinner and putting the extras to the side for May, she got an email from one Tony Stark. With her comfiest pajamas on and teeth brushed Peyton decided to do her homework on the subway in the morning and started to read the documents.

They were very complex and she found herself having to Google some of the events brought up as evidence. It was easy to see points on both sides and there didn't seem to be an easy way out. Peyton could understand how the team had been divided on opinions but was sad to see how fractured they had become. In the end, without bias, Peyton could safely say that she agreed with Mr. Stark more and that Captain America shouldn't have started the fight.

She was relieved that she did agree with Mr. Stark. It would have been heartbreaking if she hadn't and then said no to Iron Man. She knew what she decided but thought it would be best to sleep on it.

She couldn't believe Iron Man was a fan of hers, she thought as she drifted to sleep.

* * *

Thank you all for reading!


	7. Chapter Seven

Hope the week is going well! This is the last part of this section. Hope you like it!

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That morning she sent the text to Mr. Stark. At first worried it was too formal and as soon as it sent, worried it wasn't formal enough. After a shower and getting her bag packed, she headed to the kitchen and noticed the leftovers for May were still on the counter. There had to be something else she could do and Peyton resolved to try and find another job.

Time flew and Peyton found she was extremely busy with school stuff and her patrols. She had no such luck finding a job with her schedule yet, but was continuing to look. And soon she was here at Stark Towers and it was everything she had ever dreamed of. Every surface of the lab gleamed and each shelf was stocked full of different types of metals and tech Peyton was sure went into making the famous Iron Man suits.

In a daze she started walking around the lab, unaware of Mr. Stark's eyes following her. She ran her fingers across the tables, trying to take everything in. She stopped in front of the robot Mr. Stark had warned her of earlier and although she was fairly sure he was jesting, was still slightly weary.

It moved its arm up, making Peyton feel like it was looking at her and cocked it to the side. She knew she was being sized up and gave a little bow in order to pay respects. It gave a little humming noise and bumped her stomach. She reached forward and gave the little robot a rub on the top of the claw, to which it replied with an even more enthusiastic noise. Peyton giggled because it reminded her of Wall-E. Her enthusiasm was contagious it appeared because the robot spun around, narrowly missing Peyton with it's arm.

"Hey Robo-arm, be careful of the kid. You don't know your own strength." Dum-E made an indignant noise and raised his arm again, which Peyton then fist bumped.

Laughing, she said, "Mr. Stark, This is honestly better than Disney world. I can't believe I'm here." She finally turned back around to look at Mr. Stark. He was leaning hip against the table; eyebrows pulled together causing creases to form.

"This is just, this is so cool." She smiled softly and looked down to the floor.

"Well kiddo, what do you say we get started?"

And with that they dived right into testing. Firstly, she tried on the suit, which although could shrink to form to her body was too long in the sleeves and legs. Peyton was beyond embarrassed when Mr. Stark disappeared for a second and then came back with a small tin box. She must have had a strange look on her face because he laughed and told her it was an easy fix. He then proceeded to get on his knees and start to hem the pants of her suit. Peyton's face lit up bright red and she stammered that he shouldn't have to do that.

"Nonsense kid. We can't have you tripping over all this material. Besides, it's been a second and I need the practice."

She had no response to that and stood there quietly, face still burning, while he worked. Peyton wondered where he ever learned to sew like that. Never in a million years had she thought that she would be standing here with Mr. Stark, needle between his lips, while he shortened her sleeve.

Ben had tried to teach her at one point and Peyton was decent at it. May and Ben hadn't thought they were ever going to have children and so it wasn't something they saved for. It was certainly a surprise when Peyton came to stay with them and money had been tight. Ben wanted her to learn so she could patch up some of her clothes; which still fit but were worn down. Peyton had never got the hang of it so that duty fell to Ben, his fingers being surprisingly nimble. This intimate act reminded her of all those times Uncle Ben spent hours trying to salvage her clothes when she was too rough on them.

Everything was just moving so fast. Not a week ago she would never have revealed her face to anyone, including Aunt May. But something in their first meeting had changed her mind. Peyton couldn't quite put her finger on it but something about Mr. Stark just resonated with her and she decided to take a leap of faith. It was hard living with a secret this big and Peyton just needed someone to trust. Someone who could protect themselves from getting hurt. She was tired from hiding and then Mr. Stark had landed on that roof and she made up her mind.

After fixing the fit of her suit, they went to one of the gym rooms and tested her actual abilities. Peyton wanted to impress him so she went all out. The only difficult thing was that she had never had any formal training, so a lot of her moves weren't as polished as they could have been. Basically she acted on instinct. Mr. Stark had been over the moon when she showed him how she could climb walls and stick to any material. Peyton had thought she heard him say that he knew he was right. Her web fluid was another point of interest.

"So, which of my competitors did you get that from kid?" He said, pointing to the web cartridge. Peyton wasn't exactly sure what he was asking so she just continued to stare at the package.

"Come on now. You can tell me, I won't judge you. Well, if you say Oscorp I can't promise you no judgment. We all know their stuff is shit." His self-important expression made Peyton start laughing.

"Oh. No, Mr. Stark I haven't trusted Oscorp since... No, I made this myself."

He stared at her intently for a second and she wondered if he was going to ask her about the hesitation, but then what Peyton would have called a proud smile came over his face.

Softly he said, "Of course you did kid. You'll have to show me your formulas another time."

She nodded eagerly. Mr. Stark wanted to look at her formulas! He had even looked proud when she had told him she made it herself. And that was that. After testing her various powers in a modular, Peyton was starving. Her stomach growled and Mr. Stark laughed.

"Come on, let's get something to eat and I'll take you home."

"It's okay, Mr. Stark. I can just take the subway back home."

"No arguing. It's dark out and I'm hungry as well."

Not wanting to ruin comfortable mood of the afternoon, she stayed silent. That was how she found herself sitting across from him at an Indian restaurant, in disguise. Although, she didn't really see how he was incognito because he was wearing a Stark Industries baseball cap and his signature glasses. She was surprised he wasn't sporting an Iron Man t-shirt too.

To her relief it wasn't awkward, Mr. Stark asked if she had a preference to the food and she, overwhelmed by the choices, said no. He ordered and soon there were plates of piping hot masala, naan, and a mixture of other dishes between them. Normally, it was hard for her to talk to someone she didn't really know. There was just something in her brain that, when confronted with a new person, froze up. That's one of the reasons Peyton had a hard go of making friends, for the longest time it had just been her before Ned came around.

But this was completely different than most interactions Peyton had, especially with an adult. The media portrayed Tony Stark as an entitled and self-centered man, but in reality Mr. Stark was completely different. Not domineering the whole conversation, they both talked about things they enjoyed and were interested in. Mr. Stark was surprisingly funny and had her laughing with his impressions of Happy, his bodyguard, chauffeur, head of security, guy. He asked her insightful questions about herself and she found herself answering honestly and openly. The only time the conversation became strained was when she told Mr. Stark about school.

His eyes went completely blank as he ran his hand through his hair. She thought she heard him whisper an expletive beneath his breath.

"I didn't really think you were a kid. Damn, how old are you Peyton?" It was the first time he had ever said her name and the way he spoke it made her never want to hear it again. For some reason she felt ashamed of her age and didn't want to answer, tearing off another piece of naan she whispered, "15."

And all at once she realized what was happening. Mr. Stark had thought she was a lot older. Of course he would never have asked a child to help him fight the Avengers. She wasn't even a real superhero. She'd let Ben die and once again had ruined everything. Any second now she would wake up from this dream to find herself lying in her bed, her original suit stashed under her floorboard, engulfed by the dark apartment, and alone.

She peeked up at him through her lashes and found that he wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were trained on the next table. She feared what he was thinking, feared what he had to say next.

"Look kid, I'm no good at this but even I have to draw the line sometimes. I can't knowingly allow you to help." She looked up in silent resignation, accepting, but he didn't seem to notice.

"You're just a kid. I can't. It's not fair to you. You're just so young."

And something in his hallowed expression made Peyton mad.

"No." she said. "You, you can't just say no. I want to help Mr. Stark. I need to help. This doesn't just affect you and me. This could hurt lots of people and if I can do something to help. I will. I have to Mr. Stark." She could feel her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Mr. Stark had to let her help. Selfishly, it was not just because she wanted to help people. Peyton had finally found someone that seemed like they understood. Ever since getting her powers, ever since Ben, she had been trying to find a purpose. Trying to find a way to figure out why she, of all the people on the planet, had contracted these powers. Sure, she loved saving people. It made her feel good and it gave her a sense of accomplishment and eased some guilt. But, she wanted to do more. She wanted to be all that she could be.

Not to mention that having her abilities was so isolating. Peyton had made the decision early on not to tell anyone what happened and now she reaped the consequences.

She had dreams about what could happen to May if someone had found out who she was. It had become one of her biggest fears. That she wouldn't be able to save someone she loved, already feeling like she failed once. And now she had finally chosen to tell someone and he didn't want her all because of her stupid age. It wasn't fair and she wasn't going to let Mr. Stark leave her. Not like all the other people in her life. Not when she finally decided to open up again.

Finally she broke the silence. "Please, Mr. Stark. I need to do this. I want to help you."

She looked down and squeezed her crossed fingers until they turned white. They sat in silence once more but Peyton felt like she had said enough.

Finally he looked at her, his brown eyes searching her determined ones. "Okay, kid. Here's what's going to happen. You can come but it's simply going to be a decorative position. You won't fight but we can use you. It will put them on edge because they don't know you. But I won't have you getting hurt." By the time he was done she was smiling widely.

"I won't let you down Mr. Stark. Thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet, kid. God, this is so not responsible. But when has anyone ever accused me of such an atrocity?"

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Let me know what you think. Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter Eight

Here is the next one!

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"You will never guess what happened." She said as she sat down across from Ned in the lunchroom. Peyton opened her brown sack lunch and pulled out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an apple with a prominent brown spot. Ned looked up from his chicken salad sandwich and smiled, a piece of lettuce falling from his mouth. Peyton indicated where it rested on his shirt and he hastily picked it off. She had been practically vibrating all morning, waiting for the right time to tell Ned.

"I got accepted to an internship program I applied to." Peyton smiled wide and Ned stared back.

"For who?"

She knew that's exactly what he would ask first and casually lifted her hand to her face in order to pretend to examine her nails.

"Oh, just at Stark Industries."

She would've given anything to get a picture of Ned's expression in that moment. He calmly set his sandwich down, wiped his mouth with his napkin, and leaned across the table. In the most serious tone he said, "Peyton, would you mind repeating that for me? I thought I heard you say that you got an internship with Stark Industries. A company famous for not having interns."

"Well, my dear friend. I am pleased to say that your hearing is still perfect and I can confirm that is precisely what I said."

"Dude, no way. That's awesome!" His quick enthusiasm for her was just one of the many reasons Ned was an amazing best friend.

They did their secret handshake. It started with a fist bump, handshake to elbow touch, and blast off with jazz fingers. Their original handshake had begun as a simple fist bump but slowly, over their friendship, had become longer and more complicated. It even transformed depending on the occasion, most notably adding a series of claps adapted from The Parent Trap, one of their favorite movies.

She had known objectively that Ned would be happy for her, but still, she worried. He was such a good friend and maybe this was his breaking point. He had been trying all freshman year to get an internship somewhere. They all said that although he had great promise, to come back in a few years. He needed to get some notches on his belt and once he was older, they would welcome him with open arms. It was difficult to watch the excitement in his face turn to disappointment with every letter that came back. He hadn't been his normal, happy self all year, adding to Peyton's guilt of not telling him everything.

"Really, congrats. What are you going to be doing there?"

"Oh, you know, nothing big. I'll just be cleaning beakers, getting coffee, and paperwork. That sort of thing, probably."

Peyton felt bad lying to her friend but her resolve stood strong. This was safer for him. Better to not know the real reason or what she was actually going to be doing.

The bell rang and they headed to English, one of her least favorite subjects. Ned and her sat of opposite sides of an isle. So, although technically easy to pass notes, the gap for the walkway caused some slight problems. This hour Ned was not to be deterred. He passed her the first note.

N: So when does it start? You still coming over to help build the Death Star? Can't believe you are going to be working with Tony Stark! (That was underlined twice.)

P: This weekend actually! Starting off helping with some sort of convention and I know! More like working for him. Rain check on our plans?

N: That started fast. You better be ready to build away when you get back and you have to tell me everything!

Ned was in the middle of passing his response when it was snatched out of his hand.

"Hey! Give that back" Peyton whispered furiously. A dull red creeping up her neck. She really didn't want the news of her internship to spread around the school and, knowing Flash, he would spread the news like wildfire.

"Just hand it over," Ned chimed in trying to whisper so he wouldn't bring the teacher's attention. Flash continued walking to the garbage at the front of the classroom, giving them a smile over his shoulder. He made sure it was hidden in front of Mrs. Roma but as soon as he turned around, opened and read it on his way back to his seat. A frown replaced his smile. Peyton watched, head turning to follow his movements as he passed her. He deftly moved out of the way of her outstretched hand. But did not dodge the second hand that stole the letter out of his fingers. MJ, who sat two seats behind her, brought it up in a kind of salute and slide it into her bag. Hopefully, she would return it later.

Peyton swung her body forward again at a question directed at her.

"And what, Miss Parker, is the significance of Caliban using the language that Prospero taught him, against him in the end?"

"Um. Well, I think. It has to be because. I'm sorry, I don't know Mrs. Roma."

"And that class, is why it is important to pay attention to our discussion and not to others. Now, please turn to act one scene two to look at this fascinating interaction."

She brought her palms under her thighs and squeezed her body tense. Peyton had known the answer, having read the exact scene on the subway to school this morning but Flash had distracted her. She didn't want him reading their note. It was none of his business and it was rude. But, she should have been paying attention and not let him get under her skin so much.

Although English wasn't her favorite subject, she still enjoyed being at school. Contrary to popular opinion among teenagers, Peyton loved the classroom setting. She could sit listening all day to her peers spout their knowledge. Discussions were even better. When two of her classmates might disagree but heard the one another out and learned from it was one of Peyton's favorites. School was a place where she could be just Peyton and be good at something all herself. It was one of the reasons she worked so hard to get into Midtown. May and Ben had always encouraged her education and it had meant the world to her that she could go to this school.

Peyton didn't want to worry May if her grades started slipping. So she made sure to pay extra attention the rest of the week. She even raised her hand in English in order to make up for her previous blunder. It had taken all her willpower to move her hand upward and speak in front of the class. Her response lacked the eloquence the rest of her classmates' had, but she had done it. The coolest thing was that nobody, besides Mrs. Roma, batted an eye. Ned didn't break from taking a copious amount of notes, Liam was still asleep next to the window, and even Flash was trying to throw paper at the back of her head. She smiled at her small accomplishment.

Later, at the bottom of her bag she found a familiar looking piece of paper. The word "Congratulations" was scrawled across the bottom.

* * *

For the rest of the week she came to the tower after school or when decathlon practice was done. Pushing her patrols to afterward. This was actually helpful because she got to expand her usual area. Once she was exactly three blocks out and one to the right of Stark Towers, she would go into this fairly clean alley and change into her suit. From there she would patrol that area for a bit before making her way home, continuing to be on the lookout. Either way it was worth it because of all the time she was spending with Mr. Stark. They had just put the final touches on her suit yesterday.

It had been amazing to test it knowing how much effort went into the design. The most obvious change was the sleeker design, which was everything that Peyton had dreamed of. Her top and bottom remained the tones of the original but they decided to make her sleeves red and had the blue of her pants come up past her waist. Mirroring her oblique muscles. Mr. Stark had been trying to convince her to go with his gold and red theme but she liked the idea of sticking with her own colors. She had designed the black spider adorning the front. It now had a larger, bulbous body with spindle like legs, stretching out across her chest. The protective eyewear, which contracted and expanded, helped her block out all unnecessary light and distractions. Allowing her to focus her senses on what she needed as opposed to being bombarded with unwanted disturbances.

One thing was bothering Peyton and that was when wearing the new suit an onlooker could tell that she was female. She was small for her age, but the suit was skintight. It wasn't that big of a deal, Peyton tried telling herself. But there was still a knot in her stomach when she thought about it. What if nobody wanted her as a girl? What if they thought she couldn't help anymore? The time she spent as Spidergirl had become so vital. Had become an integral part of her. She wasn't sure she could accept it if people no longer looked to her. She could tell Mr. Stark but she didn't know if they were even there yet in their relationship and he had enough going she didn't want to worry him unnecessarily.

She wasn't even aware of all the extra features embedded in it, Mr. Stark keeping some a secret. But she was surprised over how much freedom Mr. Stark gave her while they were working on it. He valued her input through the whole process and realized that most of the time she would know what she needed. He did add additions based on his experiences, for which she was grateful. Peyton had felt that much safer knowing Mr. Stark had worked on it. He had said there was one more thing that needed to be added but wouldn't tell her what, no matter how hard she pleaded. She had even pulled out her sad, puppy face, the one that always got May to give in. That still hadn't worked.

She ran into the building. The subway had been held up and as a result she was really late. Scanning her badge, she took a second to admire the Stark Industries logo and started rushing to the employee elevator. The doors opened and she hurried toward them but wasn't paying attention and slammed into someone also trying to get into the elevator. Papers flew everywhere and her bag clattered to the floor.

With haste she bent down and started picking up the papers, her hands slightly shaking.

Without looking up she said, "I am so sorry ma'am. I wasn't watching where I was going and I didn't mean to run into you."

A pair of sleek black pumps came into her view but still she wouldn't look up.

"It's alright. No harm done." The pumps disappeared a knee came into Peyton's view. The lady bent down to help her. Silently they picked the rest of the papers up. As they stood up Peyton continued examining the fancy heels, aware she was just being awkward now. They really were elegant shoes. She opened her mouth to apologize once more when a hand extended her ID badge back to her.

"Please, don't worry about it Miss Parker." Cautiously she took the badge back and went to pick up her bag. When she turned back the blonde lady was holding the elevator door open for her.

"Just Peyton, please. Thank you, Miss?" She trailed off uncertainly and the lady laughed.

She was smartly dressed in a light blue dress that perfectly matched her eyes. It had a scoop neck and was slim fitting down to just above her knees. Her blonde hair was gathered on top of her head in a tight bun, bangs resting on her forehead. Peyton imagined that she was someone who was used to getting the job done and looking good while doing it.

"Well, just Peyton, I'm Pepper Potts. But please, call me Pepper. What floor?"

After telling Miss Potts what floor to go to, Peyton was on the receiving end of a searching look. She knew who Pepper Potts was. Everyone knew, but that didn't make it any easier to talk to her. What was she even supposed to say? You're so many peoples, including my own, role model for running this huge company and being amazing? That would just sound stupid.

"I wasn't aware that Tony had any interns." Miss Potts said continuing to look at Peyton. Her face, she was sure, would never go back to a normal color.

"Oh, um. Yeah, it's a new position. This is my first week here."

"Hmm. Well then. Let me be one of many to wish you welcome here."

"Thank you Miss Potts."

"Pepper," she said with a smile.

The elevator's opened and Miss Potts motioned for Peyton to go first. Peyton stepped off and into the room when she felt Miss Potts leave as well, gracefully walking toward Mr. Stark. His back was toward them as he, she assumed, was working on something.

Peyton cautiously glanced around the lab to see if her suit was lying about but there was no hint of red or blue to be seen. Mr. Stark had promised he wouldn't tell anyone her secret, until she wanted.

The blonde woman walked forward and began exchanging pleasantries with Mr. Stark. It was entertaining to watch them banter back and forth. Miss Potts could hold her own against the famous Stark sass.

"Pepper. Don't you look ravishing, as always."

Miss Potts rolled her eyes and said, "Look who I ran into on the elevator. Quite literally, actually," giving Peyton a wink.

Mr. Stark turned to see her standing there, awkwardly clutching her backpack. His face beamed when he saw her.

"Hey Kid. How's it going? Ready to get working?"

Despite her embarrassment, Mr. Stark never failed to make her smile. She felt a warmth ignite in her when he asked her how her day was going. It was such a simple question but Peyton loved it. That question made her imagine that Mr. Stark cared about more than just this mission. It made her feel like he cared.

Peyton could see Miss Potts smiling at them talking. She had just told Mr. Stark about how Flash had tripped in the middle of the hallway, having his books spill all over the floor. She felt bad at laughing but it was pretty funny. Mr. Stark in turn told her about one of the first times Rhodey got into the War Machine suit and had tripped, twisting his feet together. It ignited his flight rockets so he crashed into the side of Stark towers.

"There's still a Rhodey shaped dent there to this day. I left it because it brings character to the building, plus I can make fun of him for it." Peyton laughed.

"It can't be as bad as that one time where you, before you installed the filtration system, had to pee…" Miss Potts started before Mr. Stark interrupted her but it was too late to stop Peyton's imagination from running wild.

"And that's enough of that. Lovely to see you again Pepper. You should definitely wear that color blue again."

"Yes, yes. Here are the papers you need to sign."

"Of course, I will be sure to send them to Sloane."

"Selena and please do." She gave him a stern look and then turned toward Peyton.

"Don't let him get you into trouble? It was nice meeting you Peyton." She smiled and left toward the elevator, leaving just her and Mr. Stark in the room.

He came over and squeezed her shoulder, looking at the closed doors.

"What a woman, kid."

* * *

Let me know what you think.

Thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter Nine

Hope everyone is having a great week!

* * *

The last thing he had to work on was an AI to go in her suit. There was many times when Jarvis had saved the day when Tony had been incapacitated or unable to make decisions. Friday was a godsend as well and had, on multiple occasions, told Tony that she was one of the smartest beings in the world. He wanted that for the kid, someone to help her along the way if he wasn't there and sometimes it was just nice to have someone to talk with.

It was with a frantic pace that Tony set about designing a new AI. At first he was going to just download Friday into the kid's suit but then he thought better of it. Friday was, at her core, loyal to him and Tony wanted Peyton to have something like that, someone to look out just for her. He didn't want the kid to think he was spying on her either. She had a way with words and he could imagine all sorts of trouble she could get into. Once he heard her age Tony had been dead set on not letting her go to Germany. It was just too risky. But then she had rested those big, determined eyes on him and had spoken with such vigor, he felt like he had no choice but to let her come. Of course, they worked it out so she wouldn't have to fight, but still.

When he was all done Tony scanned through the various functions in the suit he added and realized that there were way to many, especially for a curious mind who was supposed to be sitting on the sidelines. So he locked them away under the 'Training Wheels Protocol.' He bet she would be more than a little annoyed if she ever found out about the name. But it would be upsetting if the kid became overwhelmed and then couldn't defend herself if the time came.

He thought back to when he had watched her fight the first time she came over to the tower. She didn't really have any techniques to be honest. The only thing that Tony could clearly see influences of were some moves from a popular self-defense strategy. But besides those, there was no pattern other than a tendency to fight defensively. This wasn't really a issue now, as she had told Tony that most of what she did on patrols didn't warrant such aggression but he was worried because Tony knew as she got older and more advanced, she would want to take on larger problems. With that all done, Tony left the naming of her AI to the kid. Give them something to bond over.

He knew that when he first became Iron Man it felt as if the world lay at his feet. There was nothing he couldn't do, nobody he couldn't save, and that thinking caused some issues along the way. It caused the crushing guilt that held him down when he thought about all the people he couldn't save. Tony didn't want that to happen to Peyton. Didn't want her to become racked with pain so similar to his.

Tony Stark looked up from his screen to glance at the girl sitting across from him. Today he needed some peace before the chaos of the weekend ensued. The tower, as of late, had been feeling large, cavernous and it made the feeling more bearable to have someone there. Even though they didn't have any work left he hadn't wanted her to not come today. It was nice just sitting there and each working on something. He was on his Stark Tablet writing emails after finishing with the AI and Peyton was working on some type of homework. From the look of annoyance on her face and books scattered on the table it was some sort of paper. Her curly bangs hung in her eyes and every minute or so she would blow them out of her way. Her nose, slightly shiny, scrunched in concentration.

He hadn't been sure what exactly they should do. It didn't seem quite appropriate to go out and do something fun. Tony thought that he would be too distracted anyway. Casually he asked if she just wanted to chill in his lab and to his surprise she agreed. A girl after his own heart, she had even volunteered to do homework still looking a little flustered from her encounter in the elevator. Tony hoped Pepper hadn't pried too much. She had that direct look that could make anyone gladly confess his or her deepest secrets. He watched, amused, as she first went over and fist bumped Dum-E, giving him an extra scratch behind the claw. The robot hummed happily and swayed to the tune afterward. Then she pulled out what should have been an illegal amount of books from her backpack and got to work.

It had been, Tony checked his watch, about three hours and it was getting close to the time they normally got food. The kid didn't look like she would be stopping anytime soon. He quietly got up from his desk, stretched his back, and headed into a little alcove off to the side of the lab.

What to make that the kid would like? They had tried a surprisingly diverse amount of food that week ranging from Indian, to sushi, to good old American, and, one of Tony's favorites, Italian; more specifically pizza. Tony was shocked and dismayed to find out that the kid didn't eat meat. Something about a favorite cow and a petting farm she went to as a kid. He looked around the shelves above the sink and found nothing but some old protein bars Pepper had bought him a while ago. Carry out it was.

"Hey kid, want Thai food tonight?" He peered out from around the corner. Not a muscle twitched upon her face. "Kid, you want Thai?" He spoke louder.

Her eyes furrowed deeper and her raised shoulders dropped slightly. "Um yeah, sure." And a statue sat in her chair again. He had Friday call an order to a little Thai place a couple of blocks down and sat back down, waiting for the food.

He balanced the various brown paper bags in his arms as he carried them up to grab the kid. He had noticed her shivering earlier and didn't think it would be very comfortable to eat in the lab. The elevators opened and she was right where he left her.

"Okay, that was more work than I have done in a long time. Pepper's going to think I'm sick or something. Let's go eat kid." Her eyes slowly focused on his face and slowly made their way to the food he was carrying.

"When? Did you leave?" The kid's expression was so adorably perplexed he had to laugh.

"Just to pick up the food from the lobby. We got Thai. You did say yes but I don't know if you actually heard me."

"Uh, I didn't. But, that's not to say. I mean, Thai food is great. You didn't have to Mr. Stark. I will pay you back." She had been worried about the money all week, insisting on paying even though it was pointless. Tony could out stubborn a mule.

"Peyton, it's my treat. As you probably can tell I'm not wanting for money and I like to share it." She was going to have to learn this when she came over next time. _Next time Tony? _ Was she going to be coming over here after? Was that what he wanted?

Sure, he enjoyed her company and this week, while stressful, had been fun. He had been worried about letting her make decisions on her suit. He knew if he were that age he would have asked for as many impractical accessories as he could. But the kid had come prepared with notes on that first day. Everything that she had suggested, never demanded, had a detailed reason and even examples of why she thought it was a good idea. He had, of course, added things he knew he wished he had in the past too.

And now their time was coming to a close. This weekend they would be off to Germany and then, well he didn't know. Better to not worry about all those … feelings now. He had to focus but it was so dang hard when she looked so trustingly at him with those big brown eyes. The kid was saying something to him, probably thanking him a billion times for the food but he couldn't hear anything over the static rushing in his head.

They made it to his floor in silence and he had a moment of reprieve. She was so awed by everything that she had forgotten her shyness and was gushing about everything her eyes landed on. For that he was glad. Tony set the bags on the counter and took out a box of white rice, marking the top with a permanent marker. His favorite, pad thai, came next then two orders of spring rolls and various other dishes. After marking all of the boxes the static had receded a bit and he looked up to see the kid's silhouette against the glass.

Sometime while they had been down in the lab it had started sprinkling and the windows were now peppered with droplets. They dulled the light to create small specks of shadow around the apartment, marring her face with their impression. She really did look tiny compared to the ceiling to floors windows. Small compared to the world.

"Food's ready."

They ate in comfortable silence on the new couch, Brooklyn Nine-Nine playing in the background. Pepper would be annoyed, as he was the one who insisted on getting another one and she didn't want anyone eating or drinking on it. He thought she was just mad because she picked the last couch out. He looked to his left and found the kid curled up, fast asleep on the couch, reminding him of the way a kitten sleeps. Her knees tucked up to her chest, head turned toward him resting on her arms.

Not wanting to wake her up and certainly not wanting her to take the subway home he carefully moved from his spot. Making a note to clean up later. He stretched out and then, with gentleness he didn't know he possessed, put his arms under her knees and behind her shoulders to pick her up. In the dark, rainy lighting they moved through the empty floor, silence following them. This close up her dark circles were more apparent. He wondered if she was getting enough sleep or if she had still been going out as Spidergirl after their meetings this week. He'd never thought to ask.

Her seatbelt buckled and still she didn't move. Luckily, she had given him her address when she signed up for the internship cover. Peyton had told him very little about her home life. He still didn't feel like he had the right to pry information out of her so he took what he could get. He knew that she lived with an Aunt but wasn't sure what happened to her parents or how long she had been living there. This could look bad to her Aunt. An older man she had never met carrying home her catatonic niece. Yeah, that could be very bad.

Tony swallowed and looked at the apartment complex. The paint looked a couple years old, nothing chipping but a discoloration marred the tan paint, and the gutters needed cleaning out before the winter. The cement floors were tidy and as he walked along the railings looked like they had recently been replaced. He gathered the kid up in his arms before making his way up the stairs. She was heavier than she looked and by the time they made it to her floor he was sweating. Sleeping beauty was still resting her head on his shoulder in a deep slumber.

He knocked and waited for an answer. A woman in wrinkled scrubs stood in front of him. Her hair smooth but frizzy from the day was escaping a loose bun at the top of her head. She stared at him before looking down to the kid. "Oh, thank god. Please come in."

She showed him to the kid's room and he laid her on the bed, taking an unnecessary moment to pull the covers over her shoulders. He only had a brief chance to look around before the woman was ushering him out into the living room. Noticing only clothes thrown about and what looked to be a stack of outdated technology sitting on what he thought was a desk.

"Thank you so much for bringing her back. I was getting worried when I didn't hear from her, Mr. Stark." So she did know who he was. That was both a relief and worry. He knew what his track record looked like.

"Just Tony, please. Yes, she had been working very diligently and fell asleep. I didn't want to wake her so I thought it would be easier to bring her here."

"Well I'm beyond grateful to you. I'm so tired I forgot my manners. I'm May Parker, but call me May. Can I offer you anything to drink? Want to sit down?" He declined the former offer but accepted the latter. They sat down on a well-loved couch. Something you could tell was good for naps.

"I'm sure Peyton has told you about the internship she was offered? She has been working all week to prepare for the convention that is this weekend. She has been a big help."

"Yes, she told me all about that. I will be working doubles so it's a relief to me that she won't be alone all weekend. But I just wanted to say thank you, Mr. stark."

"No thanks are necessary, your niece was accepted on her merits." A smile took over her face but her hands twisted the bottom of her shirt.

"Well, I wouldn't expect anything less from my little P. She always was a dedicated person. Whatever she set her mind to soon enough would accomplish." Tony smiled and agreed that sounded just about right.

"But I wanted to say thank you for something else. I'm not sure how much Peyton has told you about our situation and I don't want to break her trust but I feel as if you should know. I lost my husband, Peyton's uncle, about seven months ago. It hit us all hard but she was especially struck. Her parents died when she was young, and Ben and myself took her in. They had a special sort of bond, she would always confide in him. Always looked up to him. Ever since she has been withdrawn and unresponsive to me. I've been working longer hours at the hospital and as a result haven't been able to spend as much time with her as before. She hasn't talked to me in so long that when she came home one day to announce this internship I felt some hope. This whole week she has been walking on air. Telling me how excited she is to be working for you. Thank you, Tony, for giving my little girl a chance and more so thank you for giving your time. It means the world to know there's someone who cares for her."

May had tears gathering in the corner of her eyes by the time she was done speaking. Tony produced a handkerchief and handed it to her, watching as she patted them dry and politely blow her nose. He wasn't sure how to respond so he just nodded and again repeated what he said about Peyton's work ethic. May had a knowing gleam in her eye and even hugged him on the way out.

He sat in his car for a while after that. "Someone who cares." What was that supposed to mean? Sure, he didn't want her to fall ill or anything but he had barely known the kid for long. Certainly not long enough to form any type of bond. The rain beat down against the glass pane as Tony's focus on each smaller raindrop blurred and morphed into one large sheet on his windshield.

Why did he spend so much time on the suit then? Not only that, but he invited her to work on it with him, taking her into his personal lab and everything. When he had a chance to cancel their meeting today he hadn't, instead just chilling with the girl. Hell, she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep on his couch. He still had Friday keep track of all the press about her and had double-checked that there was tofu instead of chicken in her pad pak.

Tony wasn't sure if that was what caring was. He was long out of the habit of it, but all he did know was that he wanted her safe. He wanted the kid to be safe and sound, tucked away in his lab. He wanted to see that one freckle on the bridge of her nose to furrow in concentration and to watch as her hair grew wilder when she became animated about something. He also wanted her to thrive; to become not Spiderman but Spidergirl and show the world who she really was.

He pulled into the garage and turned off his car. First he had to deal with Cap and that situation, and then he could get a handle of himself. Yes, practical first.

And as if that was a sign to the universe, Friday informed him of movement from the Rogue Avengers.

"Well Fri, It's time to kick some starred and spangled ass."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading!

Let me know what you think.


	10. Chapter Ten

Hi everyone! Here is the next installment. I'm not entirely happy with how this one turned out. Also, I don't have professional medical knowledge but I tried to make sure everything was accurate. That being said there might be errors. Thank you for reading!

* * *

"I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart."

His breath came in short bursts as he stared at the man in front of him. The man who for a long time Tony had counted as a friend, a brother. They had been through a lot together. As a team they had save the world and Tony never thought he would live to see the day where the Avengers fought on separate sides. This was actually happening. It was no longer apart of the dreams he woke up from breathless, damp sheets encompassing him. Tony had been convinced for the longest time that they would be able to talk it out. He had no real reason before to think that they couldn't.

They were both reasonable men. Steve wasn't a bad man and actually Tony looked up to him for his selflessness and honor. Both men wanted to do the right thing in the end and work toward the same goal. But somewhere, the journey toward that goal got derailed and now they were bound and set on different tracks. Presently on this evacuated airfield they were face to face, only a few feet apart but a world of feeling separated them. Tony imagined a giant moat coming between their two factions. He wished it were really there so no one would be able to cross over. He stared at the self-righteous face across from him and all the stress and worry he had been hording inside himself within the past couple of weeks came rushing forward. God that helmet was ridiculous.

Fear clouded over his body and like an addicting mist Tony inhaled deeply. Chaos surrounded him every way he glanced. He was flying toward Steve, coming down hard and slamming his friend's head with his fist. Steve staggered and retaliated with his own hit. T'Challa and Barnes were in hand to hand combat. The kid was facing off against Wanda; holding her own. He even spotted Nat and Clint squaring off in the corner of his eye. Nothing sat right about this and his vision kept shaking and tunneling in. All right Tony, just focus. Make sure they don't make it to the Quinjet, collect Barnes, report to Ross, and make sure your team is all right. Make sure everyone is all right.

Even though he was wearing his suit, his more protective skin, Tony could still feel the punches reverberate through his body. The contusions he got from Wanda's parlor trick via cars earlier were still aching. One of Clint's arrows came rushing toward him. There wasn't enough time to react and it came into contact right above his reactor. A light exploded all around him and the pressure seized his body. A deafening sound followed after as more arrows started exploding all around him. His attempts at destroying each one were useless against the endless barrage coming his way. Clint was such a pain in the ass. He continued his assault on Clint who could run surprisingly fast, ducking between crates in hopes to impede Tony's efforts.

Then the kid had a brilliant idea. Somehow Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, as Friday reminded him, had become an even bigger pain in the ass, literally. The kid's plan was crazy. But crazy enough that it just might work. Tony could see the webbing wrapped securely around the giant's legs from his vantage point in the sky. Rhodey and him flew directly up Lang's body and both hit him squarely in the jaw, snapping his neck back and causing Lang to loose balance. He could hear the kid's infectious laughter from the coms and felt a smile creep its way onto his face. One more down.

The laughter bubbling up from his throat fizzled out as he watched the red and blue suit they had worked so hard on fly through the air and crash into a mound of crates. There was no movement that he could see coming from the splinters of wood and scattered trail of dirt. The anger from earlier melted away and was replaced by nothing. It wasn't even a feeling of numbness, which made a person aware of it by the hole left from the curious absence of feeling. This nothing masked itself in a gentle manner, designed as relief until the person was trapped in an eternity of blankness.

Tony flew down, landing next to her fragile body. He frantically tossed some planks of wood away and oh so carefully wiped some dirt off of her shoulder. His hands hovered over the side of her face and on top of her hand; which was grabbing at her side. What if her spine had broken? If that was the case there was no way he could move her. It would be paramount to keep her still and could cause even more damaged if her body was jostled about. Carefully, without putting strain on any of her muscles Tony slipped her mask off of her head. The eyes that had barraged him with so many questions in the past were scrunched closed, unnaturally tight. Her lips were cracked and a tint of red congregated at the right corner. A strangled sound escaped them. He could see she was attempting to move onto her back. The red colored arms came up in a defensive manner, protecting her body and her eyes shot open when he rested his metal hands on them. The muscles strained underneath his hands as she fought him, punching and scratching in order to fend off the threat she perceived. God, what was he thinking? Bringing her into an actual battle. It was beside the point that she wasn't actually supposed to be fighting.

He tried to speak to her, to bring her back to the present. "Kid, are you okay? Come on, Peyton. It's Tony Stark." Her hands continued their movements. Fear clouded over her face and rooted themselves in her widened eyes, their glassy quality reflecting the harsh sun above them.

His grip remained as gentle as it could be while restraining her and again tried to reach out, "Kid, you've got to calm down." She didn't stop moving and in fact his voice just spurred her, causing her to fight even harder. More pain graced her face as she moved her battered body. Tony wasn't sure exactly how strong she actually was, but thought if she was working at full strength he wouldn't have been able to stop her; suit or no. At least she wasn't as severely injured as he thought because she was moving on her own.

"Peyton, you are okay. Look at me." Her movements were becoming slow and held less momentum as she tired herself out. Sweat accumulated on her forehead and upper lip as her breaths became more laborious and shallow. After a few minutes her eyes started to clear and a glint of recognition crept into them. She looked at him with such an expression of relief, like he had just saved her. Tony swallowed and for a moment forced himself to stare into her eyes while she still wasn't fully aware. To face everything that could have happened. He wasn't a savior. It was his fault the kid was hurt. That she was there on the ground in pain. He turned away, unable to see into those eyes anymore. He needed to get away from here, couldn't bear to face what he had done anymore.

He spoke firmly over the coms, "Get down here Happy. Yeah, it's over. Gotta take the kid back. I can't and I'm telling you to."

A sound escaped the kid and he moved so he could look at her again. She stared for a second. Then smiled at him causing her lips to crack and blood to congeal in the crevices. A smile for him. She had no business looking at him, much less with a pleased expression. He had led her into this fight. Led a fifteen-year-old child into a fight with superhuman adults. All their provisions and safety measures didn't mean shit when this was the result. "You promised me you wouldn't fight, kid. I took you at your word." He could see her trying to shrug, which caused his expression to sharpen. How could she be so nonchalant about it?

"I'm sorry Mr. Stark. I am, but I don't regret it. You needed all the help you could get and I could give some, Sir. I wanted to." She was so naive; Tony bet she didn't even comprehend what could have occurred. Ant-Man hadn't even been trying to knock her down at the moment and look at the results. "Plus, I made that sick entrance. Did you see me take Mr. Captain America's shield?" She had made a noise that kind of sounded like a laugh but just rattled around in her chest, turning into a violent cough. Her head thumped back to the ground and she winced at the feel of the gravel. He gathered her mask and silently lifted her head up a bit. Not an expert at hair he tried his best to gather it out of the way and tucked the folded mask where her head came into contact with the ground.

"Kid, I will never forget that. Friday got it all recorded and I will be watching it on repeat. You have. You should have listened to me." No response. "Can you get up?" He held out his hand and prayed she could get up. Reaching in response, she grasped it tightly. So similar to how she did at the cafe where they first officially met. How long ago that day seemed and how shocked he had been upon meeting her. Over and over again she had proven to him not only that she was an amazing hero but also that she was just an all around good person. One that made Tony want to be better.

Over his coms he heard Rhodey yelling for backup and the sounds of the fight came through it, disintegrating the peaceful moment. Reality came back to Tony and distracted as he was didn't notice the slight flinch Peyton made when she stood up. He still had a fight to win. This wasn't the end yet.

"Come on kid. Happy's going to get you back home. I have to take care of some stuff here." He made sure that she was standing and okay before blasting off. Not even letting himself look behind to make sure that she would find her way. Happy could find her, he told himself.

They were going after the Quinjet; they had to stop that plane. This was their last hope. He could feel the turbines pressure more closely now. The air gliding around his suit feeling heavier the faster he was going. Friday informed him that Falcon was on their tails but he wasn't worried. Their main goal was in front of them. Almost there! Then he saw Rhodey falling from the sky. It wasn't even a decision in Tony's mind. He spun around and started flying full acceleration after him. Rhodey's voice came over the coms, this time a heady panic was present. He pushed his suit even harder and he held his arms as tight as they could go against his body, trying to control the shaking.

Impact.

The earth spread out underneath the robust, silver suit, dust erupting from underneath and settling like a halo on the raised edges of the depression. Tony landed besides his friend leaving his own indentation and without thinking tore his friend's mask off. Rhodey's eyes were shut in what looked like a peaceful sleep. The only thing giving it away was the bruising around his nose and a trail of blood leaking from there and down the side of his face under his suit. The shaking in Tony's hands became fiercer as he hastily gathered his vitals.

Heart rate was faint but still beating with major contusions and severe whiplash. And then the worst came. The words spinal cord injury appeared in front of him. A diagram came back showing some of the lumbar nerves highlighted; L2-L5 affected. Friday in her most clinical manner informed Tony of all the repercussions of such an injury could have. Paralysis was one of the words that Tony kept circling back to. Loss of function. Friday made sure the paramedics were on their way and he sat there, his friend in his arms.

The doubts began to crowd around him, yelling their hateful words. What if he couldn't fix this? He wasn't god and there was only so much one man could do. What if this was the limit? What if this went too far and there was no way to help Rhodey? Oh, Rhodey. His best friend had always been there for him. Throughout it all Tony could always count on the man between the ups and downs, and there were a lot of downs. If nothing else in his life, this pushed him over the edge and he was sure his spot in hell was now cemented in stone.

Images came faster now and Tony's worst fears came true before his eyes. A dark mahogany box sat at the end of an isle. People clad in black lined the pews and bowed their heads. The blurred images of two chocolate-eyed children, whom would never be, appeared before him. Their beautiful faces burning the accusations and sadness on the back of his eyes. Tony remained crouching in the dirt while the nameless children stared. Time seemed to slow for him as people rushed back and forth around the site. Medics came and with care pried his hands off of his friend and carried him from the ground. They put him on a stretcher and transported him out of his sight. Tony stayed there, kneeling in the dirt, arms at his side, fingers dragging in the earth. His arms empty now.

Tony's mind was whirling not allowing the words to sink in past the tempest inside him. There was no way this could actually happen and to all people Rhodey. His Rhodey. What if it was worse than Friday had thought? He had to fix this, make sure Rhodey was okay. Tony could do anything. Fixing things was his thing. All he had to do was create another suit, another something to help his Rhodes out. He could do this. He had built his company up from something harmful. Had created the Iron Man suit inside a cave in the desert. If there was a way, Tony Stark could find it. A sob worked its way up his chest and droplets darkened the maroon color of the suit on his chest. He hadn't realized it had started raining. His vision blurred and another sound came from him. As her wiped his face the metal on his gloves came back slick and he realized the droplets were coming from him. This was his entire fault.

He stood up then, the metal suit encasing his cracking knees and aching ribs, which both simultaneously protested the movement. His cheeks now tacky and dried up. First though, he needed to get to Rhodey and make sure he was going to be okay. Make sure he got the best medical attention. And then, once again, he had to get to work. The sky loomed closer as he fly upward. He programmed the autopilot and closed his eyes, seeking some peace from the giant war he had just created. He found none.

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Thank you for reading. I appreciate it! I hope your Friday goes quickly and happy early Mother's Day!

Let me know what you think.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Good Monday to everyone! Wishing you a nice week.

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The gravel dug into her back as sunlight streamed onto the ground, overwhelming her sight and causing her to try and raise her arm to her face. "Ugh," a wisp of sound was all that escaped her mouth. Peyton tried to straighten her body but it wouldn't cooperate. A throbbing emanated from the right side of her abdomen and another soundless utterance escaped in protest. She vaguely remembered Mr. Stark telling her to stay down and realized that she may have fallen harder than she first thought. It was difficult to piece together everything that happened after Ant-Man fell. Peyton grinned ruefully when she realized that her plan had worked. Well, the plan from Alien but she was the one who had thought of it in the moment. Working in tandem with Mr. Stark, Mr. Rhodey, and everyone, they all brought down the colossal Ant-Man. Oh. Of course she childishly had been celebrating to early and had thus been hit to the ground. It wasn't her fault that it had been an epic takedown. Resigning herself to lying there until her healing worked, Peyton began ruminating about Mr. Happy.

Happy did not like her. Well, he didn't like Spiderman. The man's glower could win prizes and Peyton had been subjected to it for the whole plane ride to Germany. Mr. Stark had told her not to take it personally, that Happy was like that with everyone. But it was hard to remember that as she practically melded into the seat, trying to make herself invisible to the bored stare. She had been uncomfortable about boarding the plane. There had been no time to meet Mr. Happy beforehand and she held a slightly weary feeling over anyone knowing her true identity. It wasn't that she didn't trust him; anyone Mr. Stark trusted, she did too. This was more her own fear about the situation. It took a lot out of her to reveal her identity to Mr. Stark and she wasn't quite ready to do that with anyone else. Her and Mr. Stark had talked it over and thought it would be best for her to go about as normal before Germany. Meaning she couldn't use the amazing suit they designed yet. Things were complicated enough without adding to it. So she was clothed in her original suit, homemade goggles and all with Mr. Happy appraising her from across the aisle. She wasn't sure what Mr. Stark had told Happy but assumed the new suit would be waiting for her somewhere before the fight.

Peyton was pretty sure her face was the exact same color as her mask when Mr. Happy had glanced away and mumbled, "Can't believe I have to waste ten hours on a plane." And what a plane it was. She had been so nervous that she spent the night before researching plane protocols. Most of the stock photos involved pinched faced people squeezed into seats like sardines in a can. The majority included some type of screaming child as well. Very pleasant indeed. With that image in mind Peyton was pleasantly shocked by the spacious interior that greeted her as she explored the plane. It was sleek and more importantly completely empty besides the staff. The seats, which had heat options, were individual little pods and they even had blankets and pillows. She had tried to be polite; May and Ben had always taught her that everyone deserved respect until they gave you a reason. But making a good first impression on Mr. Happy was proving harder than she initially thought. Maybe it was the mask or maybe she smelled; she could feel the nervous sweat accumulating under her arms. It wasn't clear why.

The exact moment the pilot turned on the plane the rumbles messaged her senses, smoothly at first, like white noise. It relaxed her but then the plane started forward and the turbines began to spin faster; gradually they started grating her nerves, scraping into her skin like a carpet burn running along her body, inside her veins. It was like she was in every space of the plane; her head was jammed next to the engine, her ears faced the wind rushing past the airframe. She could hear the pilot talking to the ground crew and the sound of the engine reverberated throughout her head, making her sight tunnel.

The only thing that seemed to help drown out the ringing was talking. If she could focus on the words coming out of her mouth there was no need to pay attention to the harsh lights shining from the half opened window in her aisle. She already had so many questions and comments that they spewed out of her mouth. Mr. Happy just sat there engrossed in something on his phone; occasionally murmuring a "yeah, kid," or "sure." If Peyton was paying him her full attention she might have felt awkward enough to stop but once she began there was no end in sight and it felt so relieving to focus on something else.

She really wasn't trying to be annoying. But really, who wouldn't be excited about flying on a private jet to Germany, complete with any choice of movie. The itching feeling seemed to dissipate once they took off and she had a moments reprieve. Her awe of being there possessed her and she cautiously unbuckled, not knowing if a detector would go off, and moved to the window seat; quickly re-buckling. She pressed her nose and forehead on the window, leaving a small grease pattern on the glass, and peered out into the expanse of blue in front of her. The ever-evolving white and blue watercolors painted a masterpiece just for her. If it were possible she would have sat there forever and a day, taking the world in from above.

Up here there were no niggling thoughts or excessive uncertainties, only endless fancies waiting for someone to dream up. There weren't any expectations either. Each one of her anxieties floated up and away on the clouds passing by. She wasn't Spidergirl anymore. There was no media following her, trying to see what she would do next or who was under the mask. She wasn't even Peyton in that moment. Things like her empty college fund and people at school seemingly vanished. She wished that moment had lasted forever. If there was a way to commandeer the plane to never stop flying, to be in an endless orbit around the planet, the clouds could become her home.

The peace was broken when their flight dipped rapidly in the sky and shook with a vigor that had Peyton's hands gripping the arm rests. The lulling motion of the flying was quickly replaced by illuminated seatbelt warning signs. Each rock of the aircraft felt like it was conducted into her skull. The seatbelt around her waist was too tight, squeezing her harder into the seat. The headrest seemed to dig into the back of neck, and even the feel of the gloves around her fingers made her itch. Quickly she removed them and tucked them into the pocket of the seat in front of her. She stuck her hands under her thighs and squeezed her eyes shut. The words erupting from her mouth weren't even making sense to her anymore but all she knew was that it would become too much if she were to stop.

Mr. Happy finally looked up and said, "Can we just stop talking for now?" He looked bored and went back to looking at his phone. Peyton knew that she was being bothersome and he wasn't being unkind, she could understand that this wasn't exactly what he wanted to do with his weekend. Basically he was acting babysitter to some random person in a pilled old sweat suit. But even so, she felt properly chastened and to her horror her throat began to close up. Little pricks tugged at the corners of her eyes and a fresh heat of embarrassment assaulted her. She tried to be silent, to just deal with the sensations quietly, but felt like she was trapped in the ocean. Everything came crashing down on her and she was back in herself. Spidergirl, niece, student, Peyton. It all engulfed her. There were no floats to grab onto and the waves kept crashing down over her. Excusing herself she stumbled to the bathroom, her legs shaking as she grabbed hold of the chairs in order to keep upright. Her hands trembled making sure the lock was fastened difficult.

She didn't know how much time had passed but the first thing that came back to her was the sound of breathing. It was loud in stark contrast to the quiet room and she began to focus on smoothing out the harsh exhales. Try to find a steady rhythm. She found herself sitting down in the corner of the small bathroom. Her legs were pulled close to her chest, arms hugged around her knees. Exhaustion came over her and once Peyton got her breathing mostly even she slumped her head back down to rest on her knees, rocking it back and forth between the two hills, still not being able to focus on more than just the physical sensations around her. The sink was dripping consistently and she tried to measure the time through each falling droplet. The red mask sat beside her, crumpled in a ball. Slowly she got up and leaned her arms against the small sink, staring down at the floor.

Two knocks on the door had Peyton's heart pounding again. "Everything okay in there?" She had thought she detected a note of concern from the voice but brushed it off as aftermath from her mini breakdown. Mr. Happy was just checking as an obligation. "Yes, Sir. Mr. Happy. Everything's… Everything's okay. Thank you." She held her breath hoping he would leave and give her time to clean herself up. There was a sigh from beyond the door and he said, "If you need anything let me know." Then footsteps getting quieter.

The mirror had a plastic quality that made the reflections look warped but Peyton wasn't sure if that mattered. The light overhead glared down onto the top of her head. Her hair was matted and sweaty, bangs sticking to her forehead. The eyes that stared back at her looked glassy and her movements felt slow, weighted. Gathering some water into her palm she tried to see if her reflection was different there but the image that looked back was even more distorted. In that moment she wasn't sure if this wasn't what she really looked like, if this wasn't the truth. She brought it up and splashed her face, massaging her palms into her eye sockets; trying to block out the light. "Come on Peyton. Stop being so sensitive. Mr. Happy has taken the time to be here for Mr. Stark. You can't disappoint him."

A light she had forgotten was shining on her face disappeared and she opened her eyes. A face hovered above her. "Kid, are you okay? Come on, Peyton. It's Tony Stark." That name sounded so familiar and everything came to the forefront of her mind. All she could picture were the swirls of red magic and menacing faces coming toward her. Threatening her, hurting her. "Kid, you've got to calm down," the voice said and she felt cool hands circling her wrists. They were fighting on their own, her body reacting before her mind could piece everything together. The pressure terrified her and she fought harder, trying to get away from the unknown threat. Burning pain shot up her arms and she was back under the walk ramp that had fallen on her. She tried to keep it up but it was too much and kept pushing her back down to the ground. It was going to crush her if she wasn't strong enough!

"Peyton, you are okay. Look at me." The eyes in front of her became clearer as she focused. Those eyes were familiar. They were kind and had held a quiet calm and sometimes sparkled with mischievousness. As she stared the pressure became gentler and the weight that had been so heavy on her body moments before lessened. The energy running through her suddenly drained, leaving her weak. The face turned away, leading the strobes directly into her eyes. "Oh," she raised her hand to block the light and found that this time she was able. Peyton could see the back of his head and knew he was talking to someone else.

"Get down here Happy. Yeah, it's over. Gotta take the kid back. I can't and I'm telling you to." When he turned around to look at her she smiled at him and his dour expression turned into an all out frown. He looked away. "You promised me you wouldn't fight, kid. I took you at your word." She knew he was right but well, "I'm sorry Mr. Stark. I am, but I don't regret it. You needed all the help you could get and I could give some, Sir. I wanted to." She trailed off hoping this would appease him. No chance. His brows where furrowed and he wouldn't meet her eyes.

Laughing slightly she added, "Plus I made that sick entrance. Did you see me take Mr. Captain America's shield?" Mentally crossing her fingers, she hoped he would just look at her, tell her she did okay. A breath. And deliberately he turned, blocking the sun once again. Another, different kind of pain stole into her chest. He looked so sad, the lines etched into his face seemed deeper and she had a feeling she didn't really understand what he was thinking. "Kid, I will never forget that. Friday got it all recorded and I will be watching it on repeat." They shared a smile and he held out his hand to her. "You have. You should have listened to me." Another pause. "Can you get up?"

With his help she stood up, ignoring the pain in her abdomen. She didn't want him to be disappointed in her. Plus, it wasn't so bad. She was sure her healing would fix it up no problem. "Come on kid. Happy's going to get you back home. I have to take care of some stuff here." He looked her over once more and with that flew off to finish what he had started.

She sat back down on one of the few crates not broken up. Her side was throbbing and pressure was starting to build in her head. A sense of futility was sneaking its way into her thoughts when Mr. Happy pulled up in an expensive looking SUV and waved at her from the drivers seat. She expected that was the signal to get into the car and started walking towards him, her side twanging most uncomfortably now, when she realized her body wasn't moving at a normal pace. By now she should have been entering the back doors and sliding into a seat but was still walking toward the vehicle not far from the spot she had been sitting at moments before. From that spot on the tarmac she couldn't see Mr. Happy's face but bet that he was getting annoyed. Determined not to end their encounter with him displeased, she began walking faster. The squeezing in her head was getting unbearable and when she looked up there were two Mr. Happy's rushing toward her with what, in any other person, might have been a concerned face.

She tried to reassure him that everything was okay but his brows became more furrowed. His voice seemed to be coming strangely slow. "Hey, are you alright kid? You're looking a little pale." Peyton tried to answer, she really did but the world began to tilt, a churning sensation came over her as her stomach clenched tightly. "… need to get you back to the car and then we can deal… what the hell was Tony thinking. Don't know why he brought someone so green." Mr. Happy seemed to be talking to himself and felt like it might be rude to interrupt but she was really not feeling well. She promptly fell to her knees; jarring her side and making her vision go white for a moment. Yeah, that definitely wasn't a good sign.

"Um, Mr. Happy. I'm… okay." The words were staggered and slurred. And was surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Was that Mr. Happy? He didn't seem like the most touchy, feely person and it momentarily distracted her from the sensation growing in her stomach. This was so embarrassing, she thought before promptly throwing up onto the gravel. It painted the most grotesque image as the dirt started to dilute the liquid she had just spewed. Moisture started to gather at the corners of her eyes and she brought her hand up to wipe her face, covering a cough that seized her chest. A white handkerchief appeared under her noise and looked to see Mr. Happy. This time, even she could tell, he positively had apprehension on his face and she realized that he was talking to her, murmuring low words of comfort she couldn't quite make out. His other hand was situated on her back, rubbing circles there. Trying to sooth the hurt out of her.

"Okay kid. Do you think you can make it back to the car? I need to get you to the hospital." The churning in her stomach was calmer and was close to being nothing more than an awkward swishing. She couldn't go to the hospital! Everyone would know who she was; know that she wasn't good enough to stop herself from being hurt. "No!" Her voice louder than expected and continued, "No, please, Mr. Happy. I'm fine." His lips pinched and he observed her for a moment, unconvinced.

"Can you walk?" was simply what he asked. She nodded vigorously causing her to loose her balance. He sighed and carefully put his arm around her shoulder, leading her to the car. To her surprise he took off his jacket and bundled it up so she could rest her head on the makeshift pillow. Her eyes were becoming much heavier now but she desperately wanted to keep them open. Mr. Happy was getting into the drivers seat and swiveled his mirror so he could see her reclining on the back seats The whole time he kept talking, trying to keep her engaged but she was so drowsy. A nap sounded like the best thing in the world at the moment. The car was moving now and the circular rotating of the tires soothed her.

"… and Tony, he was so pissed. He walked right up to this guy and said, 'Listen here, you mother fu…' um, 'you asshole. I need my suit back and I need it now.' Well you can imagine the shocked look on the guy's face when a naked Tony Stark confronted him. Pepper still has pictures of it somewhere." She smiled to herself as her eyes slowly shut, missing the long look Happy sent to the back of the car. His eyes softened at her curled up on the back seat. See, Mr. Happy wasn't so bad, she thought. The motion of the car and Happy's voice worked in tandem and slowly she fell asleep.

There were voices around her, and bright lights shot through her closed eyes, making her scrunch them even tighter. The atmosphere felt unfamiliar and sterile. And when she opened her eyes was confused at where she was. The table underneath her was soft but didn't give under her body weight. When she tried moving her legs a crinkling sound much like wrapping a present filled the room. Looking straight up was uncomfortable, the lights being bright, so she turned her head to the side and saw Mr. Happy talking with some woman. The door was cracked open and Peyton tried to concentrate on what they were saying.

"… needs to stay awake.."

"What happened to her?"

She couldn't quite make out what Mr. Happy said in response, the strain from moving making her head fall back onto the table. So he had taken her to some type of doctor after all. She wished she could be mad but it just wouldn't rise up within her. All that came was a slight sense of foreboding. What would happen now? Just a day ago only one person had known who she was. Today, she wasn't even sure how many people. The doctor stole a glance into the room and finished up her conversation with Mr. Hogan, leaving him to shuffle back into her room.

Peyton heard the door shut as he walked into the middle of the room. A chair scrapped along the floor and it stopped at the side of where she was resting. She could hear the material of his suit crinkle and move with his actions until it was silent once again. Peyton didn't dare open her eyes yet. "Kid, I know you're awake." Oh. She turned her head to gaze upon him. A five o'clock shadow had grown into his cheeks since they had last seen each other. "Hi, uh. Hi, Mr. Happy."

He snorted and raised his eyebrows at her. "Just call me Happy, everyone else does." The latter was said as more of a mumble to himself but he looked serious enough with the request. "I know you said no doctors but I wasn't taking a risk. Now don't look at me like that. Tony fixed it all so there were doctors here that could be trusted. He wasn't sure, if everything came to a fight and if people needed help. He wanted it to be there in case. You can trust these people. Tony trusts them. Hell, I do too. That lady was scary good not to mention super discrete. Just straight to business. And I, uh, checked her out myself, just to make sure. She didn't even ask for your name. Which, uh, what is it, by the way?"

A smile stole across her face, as she looked at him uncomfortable for the first time in their short acquaintance. His face was getting almost as red as hers did! Taking pity she said, "Call me Peyton," and reached her arm up from the table and held it to the side. She smiled warmly at him, remembering his hand pulling her hair back from her face and running along her back, so much like May did when she was sick. He reached forward and smiled back. "Hello, Peyton." They stared for a second before she asked, "Did Mr. Stark really get arrested for public nudity?" Happy looked mildly shocked that she remembered but laughed and affirmed the question. They stayed there, Peyton lying on the table, and Happy sitting, legs crossed in the chair laughing.

Happy cleared his throat and became gruff again but Peyton could see a hidden softness in the back of his eyes. "Ok, now that you're all check out we need to get you back on the plane. Doc said you're going to have some pretty bad bruises and that you have a concussion. So you can't sleep on the way back."

She nodded and moved to sit up. The pain wasn't as bad as before and she was able to keep her face blank. It was hard not falling asleep, Peyton was exhausted. Thoughts of the fight kept popping up randomly through the car ride and she was nervous for Mr. Stark, wishing he were with them on the way home. Praying that he was safe. If Happy knew anything about what had happened after she left he didn't say anything. They made it to the plane and she hunkered down to watch a movie, Happy back to scrolling through his phone. Peyton so engrossed in watching Finding Nemo that she missed the way he continued to glance up every once in a while to check on her.

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Let me know what you think!

Thank you to everyone who has read and commented! :)


	12. Chapter Twelve

Happy weekend everyone! Hope you all enjoy the next installment :)

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May Parker was a practical sort of person. She always knew what needed to be done and was eager to do whatever necessary to complete it. It was just one of the many reasons why she was such an excellent nurse. No matter what she was ready and willing to lend a hand or two to fix a problem. There was one puzzle recently that she hadn't been able to solve. Her niece. Her daughter, Peyton, was that enigma. The girl had been acting strange lately. Well, stranger than normal. There had been so many late nights May had lost track, she hadn't been hanging out with Ned as much recently, and then coincidently she had been accepted at the Stark Industries internship. May couldn't quite put a finger on what it was but was wrong and her niece certainly wasn't confessing to anything. It would be her job to figure out what was the cause.

She had been missing a vital part of herself ever since Ben had left. Going to the funeral had been difficult, to say the least. Seeing the mahogany box sitting before the altar had ripped that cavern open wider, leaving the edges jagged and aching. But she faced every kind word and sympathetic expression. No, she and Peyton bore their politeness together and then drifted to the apartment to truly grieve. The buildings and shops they passed along the way looked dull and listless, as if a filter had been thrown over the world. Like the world was grieving with them. What she couldn't imagine, and secretly was grateful that it hadn't her, was being there when it happened. Her sweet Peyton had witnessed what only haunted May at night.

After it transpired Peyton woke her up with screams in the middle of the night. The first time May believed that someone had broken in their apartment; that the killer had come back to finish the job. She remembered stumbling into Peyton's room, her legs weak from fear and expecting the worse. Finding the only assailant to be the covers wrapped tightly around her niece's slumbering body. Her heart broke every time she ran to her room and soon May became proficient at waking her struggling niece. She learned which clothes piles to avoid for some of them, like landmines, had books and other sharp objects lying in wait. She learned not to touch Peyton at first. That talking in a muted and composed manner was the best approach and when her movements stopped being so intense it was all right to gently shake her shoulder or smooth her bangs back from her forehead. May learned to ask if she wanted to talk about it but not prod too much or Peyton would lash out at her, yelling hurtful words before turning to face the wall; curling into herself. May learned that sometimes Peyton wanted to listen to her talk, just mindless chatter, and some nights she just wanted the sound of hers and May's breaths to fill the room, leaving no vacancies for undesirable thoughts. May learned all of this though she was always dreading the succeeding lesson.

At first it seemed fair to give the girl her space. Everyone consumed their grief differently and she wanted Peyton to process the emotions and events that had occurred in her own way. She herself needed time to grieve; not just for the past but also for the future she would no longer have. Although Ben and her weren't biologically Peyton's parents, she would never want to replace them, from the moment that little girl in pigtails had walked into their home, she had been family. Had been their daughter. They were there when Peyton learned to ride a bike, when she came home crying when kids at school were making fun of her, and when she had shown them a valentine from her crush at school. They were witness to her life, guiding her every way. And now it was just her and Peyton. She thought it was normal, healthy even, to give both of them some space but now May felt completely out of control and it was starting to frustrate her. She had been working a ton recently and because of that there wasn't a lot of time for the two of them to spend together. When May was available, Peyton always seemed to have something to do, some excuse. She wouldn't even go to the Thai restaurant that they loved so much. May had tried to bribe her there multiple times. The only way that Peyton would hang was if May caught her off guard sometimes on the weekends.

The subway voice chimed, distracting her from her thoughts. She glanced around and realized that this was her stop. May stood up, careful to keep her bag closed under her arm and shuffled through the throng of people to the doorway. Her shift had been lengthy and she was anxious to get home. The car wasn't too busy and therefore she was surprised when some guy stood in front of her, blocking the path. He bumped into her, causing her to stumble into a lady behind her. As she was muttering an apology to her the man spoke forcefully, drawing attention. "Excuse you, Lady. You better watch were you're fucking going." She was taken a back; the man was dressed in a business suit and his eyes bore into her, roaming uncomfortably over her body. She pulled her bag in front of her, creating a makeshift armor, and slipped her hand into the pocket on the back of her bag to grab the pepper spray hidden there. She began to apologize in a calm manner, making sure to look just above his ear when he cut her off, verbally this time. "Hey, now. That's okay. Why don't you buy me a drink and we can call it even." His voice was slippery and left a lingering slime over her skin.

"No, thank you. I have to be getting home." This was not taken well and his face contorted in anger. The fingers in his hands curled into tight fists, as he was about to retort. Before he could get a word out the woman she bumped into came up and hugged May from the side. May hadn't seen her coming and stood still, waiting to see what would happen. The woman, a smaller lady with small green eyes and a baseball cap on patted her shoulder and exclaimed how good it was to see her after all this time. "My goodness dear. You are positively glowing. I can't believe I didn't recognize you earlier. We need to catch up over the good old days. You free?" She nodded numbly and peaked at the man, noticing his upset expression but unlike before he muttered under his breath and sat back down, glaring but leaving the two women to exit the car.

She breathed out and looked toward her savior. "Thank you so much." The woman smiled and shook May's offered hand. "No need to thank me. We have to look out for each other, don't we? Can you get home okay?"

"Yes we do and I should be all right. How about yourself?"

"Oh, I'll be okay," Her smile reminding May of the Cheshire Cat. "Have a nice night now."

The lady was turning to walk away when May impulsively put her hand on the lady's shoulder. Her posture went ridged as May hugged her again, only returning it at the last second. "Thank you. If there is anything you ever need. Let me know," and slipped the woman her business card. Quickly, not wanting to chance fate again she hurried home, not taking the time to admire the apartments she passed on the way.

When she got home the apartment was dark. The only light emanated from the opened windows in the living room, leaving squares of pale moonlight on the floor. It was silent and Peyton's door was closed. It still had the feeling of something missing, someone absent. May sighed as she sat her bag down on the floor and put her shoes in the little cubby in the walkway, her feet aching as she walked now barefoot to the kitchen. She opened the fridge door and was mortified by what she saw. A package of wrinkly grapes took up the bulk of the main shelf and there were a couple glass containers in the back with food from some undeterminable time ago. The transaction on the subway had scattered her thoughts and she had forgotten to pick some groceries up on the way home. Hopefully Peyton had gotten something to eat. An overwhelming sinking feeling rose in her stomach, was she doing right by her niece? It was just groceries but what if she forgot something important next time? Closing the doors to the fridge she made her way to the bathroom they shared. It was still warm and a mist of condensation hung over the mirror. Wiping it away revealed her face, marred by the water smudges still present on the glass. She washed her face trying not to criticize the creases at the corner of her eyes that had appeared somewhere in the last few years.

Yes, she was sure of it. Something was bothering Peyton. She had noticed all the late nights spent out recently. Peyton had tried being sneaky but May had been a teenager once and knew when someone was trying to avoid answering questions. Her niece had thought she was being clever to use decathlon practice as an excuse when May bombarded her with questions a couple of weeks ago, but she had already known when practice times were. And they were not lined up with when Peyton was gone. Peyton hadn't signed up to do tennis this year either. Giving her a lame, she was so busy excuse. They had been practicing all of last year together. May knew a girl who owned a gym and let them use the courts for free after hours. Her hand never seemed to want to work in coordination with her feet and she ended up on the wrong side of the court. But Peyton was good at it; always seemed two steps ahead. Still, she wanted to give Peyton opportunities she hadn't had, opportunities she would have had if she were still with Richard and Mary. It was weird though. Peyton hadn't even seemed that upset about it, just casually mentioned she wasn't going to go out for the team this year when May had brought up try-outs.

And then she got the internship. An internship May hadn't even known she had applied for. One minute she got it and then she was spending everyday at Stark Towers, which had May worrying. Although originally she didn't think Peyton would even be spending time with the man himself she soon found out how wrong she was and that Peyton was something like his personal assistant? Peyton had been vague with answers and Tony Stark didn't seem like the type of person Peyton should be spending time with. She had assumed Peyton would be doing grunt work? But then Tony Stark had shown up in her doorway, carrying a sleeping Peyton in his arms, and he had debunked all her expectations in the one brief visit. She had watched from the doorway as he had laid Peyton down in her bed. He gently took off her shoes, dragged the covers over her, and May realized what was happening. Somehow, Tony Stark had come to care for her niece.

Quietly she padded to the girl's room and opened the door. A tuft of hair sticking out from the covers was the only thing she could see. Smiling she gently shut the door, wincing as the panel stuck to the paint creating a popping noise. She held her breath for a moment and when nothing stirred in the room beyond, released it and walked to her room. Yes, there was something going on with Peyton and May was going to find out what.

* * *

The following weekend she woke feeling rested. There was a small soreness emanating from her knees and lower back but it was always like that after a particularly laborious shift. Used to it by now she practically danced off the bed ready to start the mission. There was no light coming from under Peyton's door so she decided to go grocery shopping. The store was busy and she had just started making breakfast when Peyton slunk out of her room. "Good morning sweet P." May smiled even wider when Peyton froze for a second, caught off guard, and then melted into movement again. The girl's hair stuck every way imaginable and there were pillowcase marks running across her face to the bottom of her neck. May reached out and pulled the girl in for a hug, wrapping her arms around her small shoulders and smoothing her hair down in the back. Holding the girl at arms length she smiled warmly at Peyton and brushed some sleep away from her still half open eyes. "I'm making our favorite. Belgium waffles with strawberries!"

The girl's stomach growled in an appropriate response. "Awesome! We haven't had that in so long. Can I help with anything?"

"Grab the Bisquick out of the pantry would you?" Together they set about cooking breakfast, only making a smoke cloud of flour twice, a new record for them. Their forks scrapping the dishes were the only sound in the room as they sat around the table and enjoyed their homemade meal. May preferred hers with powered sugar dashed on top of the strawberries and Peyton had to have at least a ton of maple syrup; always the real stuff. Peyton insisted on clearing the table and raced out of the chair, trying to beat May to the sink. She clipped herself on the edge of the counter and May saw her grimace. "You alright sweetie?" Peyton's hand rested on the sink while her other grabbed at her side. May walked around the island counter and smoothed her hand across Peyton's back.

"P? What's the matter?" Her niece spun around and buried her head in May's shoulder. Wetness sunk into her blouse as Peyton's shoulders quivered silently. May whispered endless comforts to her at a loss as to what she should do. "It's okay my sweet P. I'm here. It will all be okay." Her shirt became stiff and dry as her niece rested there, her hands clenched in the fabric of May's shirt. She looked up from her shoulder and said, "I'm sorry May. I don't know what came over me." She shifted back and forth between her feet, ducking her head down to hid behind her bangs. Peyton hadn't cried in front May since she was little. Not even for Ben.

"Oh, darling girl. You don't have anything to apologize for. I am always here. No matter where you are. No matter what has happened. I love you and nothing will change that." May could see another bout of tears coming and led them over to the couch, grabbing some tissues on the way. She asked whether Peyton wanted to talk about it but she just shook her head. Peyton ended up with her head in May's lap after as May gentled carded her fingers through her knotted hair, admiring the way her curls caught the light showing off the hues in it. She turned the TV on in the background and could hear Peyton's breaths become languid as she fell asleep. The two spent the rest of the afternoon together. May holding her sleeping niece like so many times in the younger's childhood, leaving a bittersweet feeling in May.

After a subdued dinner Peyton headed off to finish some homework before school the next day. May stood, hip resting against the counter thinking of her next course of action. Putting on her mom pants, she searched through her bag trying to find the number. She knew he had given it to her before he left. A smirk came over her face as she looked at the extravagant piece of paper. The card was minimal with a gold geometric pattern that mimicked some type of technology inlaid in the background. The font, which was in a deep, glossy, red, was crisp and minimal. There was no name, only a phone number but who could ever mistake this for someone's other than Tony Stark.

Grabbing her cell phone she called out to Peyton, telling her she had a work call and that she would be in the hallway outside. Swiftly exiting their apartment she leaned against the railing and wondered if she was doing the right thing. Peyton was almost an adult and knew that if something were bothering her May would always be open to listening. Was it too much to pry this way? It could have been any number of things that elicited that response in her but then she remembered the gut wrenching sounds her niece had made. The way she had clung to her, as if May could save her from drowning. She would be willing to do anything to help Peyton and if there was a chance that Tony Stark knew anything, May would find out. With a sigh she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number.

"This is Tony Stark," rung through her speakers sounding weary and distant

"Hi, Tony. This is May Parker."

"May." A hesitation. "Is. uh, is everything okay with Peyton?"

"Look, I don't think this really has anything to do with the internship, with you. But I was wondering if you noticed Peyton acting differently."

"Different, how?" He was speaking deliberately like it was taking him a while to sort through his thoughts and find the correct response. "I'm sorry May. I don't know how well I can answer that question. Last weekend was so hectic. I was being pulled every which way. In fact I'm still kind of recovering." A bereaved laugh escaped him.

"I understand. She has just been so happy recently. The internship has really put a spark back into her life and her confidence has been up. Did I tell you she's started to take notes again? She hasn't done that since before but I was picking up the laundry and noticed her old science notebooks were open and filled with formulas; not that I could tell you what they are for but, uh, sorry. Sidetracked. I didn't want to inconvenience you but this morning she was just so upset. I haven't seen her like that in so long and was wondering if something happened at the conference. Maybe someone's bothering her?

"Bothering her? Not that I noticed. When you say upset…?"

"She was sobbing, Tony. Crying so hard she exhausted herself and fell asleep. Look, I can tell this was a mistake. Maybe she's just been overwhelmed at school. I'm sorry to have bothered you Mr. Stark."

"Tony, please," rung out before she could disconnect. Her embarrassment, which had her cheeks flushing thankfully to no witnesses, made her even more frustrated with the lack of answers. He swallowed. "I'm really sorry to hear that May. More than words can describe. I, uh, the kid is great. She shouldn't have to worry about anything. I'll look into it, though. And anything I can do. Please, never hesitate to call me again. You and Peyton are never a bother."

"Thank you Tony. Thank you for taking care of my sweet P."

"Always."

It was dark on the landing as she peered out into the neighborhood. It had been nice when she and Ben had first moved in, spacious for the two of them, and perfect for their family of three. But as with all things, time had taken it's toll and change had tainted the surroundings. A dog barked aggressively while a car blaring low bass rolled somewhere May couldn't see from where she was standing. While Tony hadn't been a hindrance the phone had not been helpful either. She still couldn't stop from thinking that it was something to do with the internship. The sound of footsteps interrupted her inner musings. She pulled up the emergency call on her phone and made sure her keys were in hand, ready to use if necessary. The footsteps were slow and echoed down the hallway, coming between her and the apartment. The apartment building was safe, normally, but May couldn't contain the inkling of worry that was there in the recesses of her mind.

The figure appeared climbing up the stairs; the shadows obscured them so May could only see their outline. As they came closer she could tell that they were clad in black, their body leant heavily on the metal railing. The woman, if May had to guess a gender, was small and wore baggy sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Both had dirt smeared on them and were stained from copious amounts of sweat; a baseball cap covered her hair. May stood there observing the person from under her eyelashes so as not to appear like she was spying. "I know you can see me." The voice said, definitely a woman. It sounded familiar but she couldn't quite place it. She turned to fully face the person who now stood at arms length from her. It was hard to believe that she was still standing let alone walking up stairs. May didn't reply. Her stomach clenched as she cleared her throat. Looking toward the sky she sent out a quick prayer to anyone listening, straightened her spine in attempt to intimidate, and then turned to face the woman.

Her earlier attempts at spying while gleaning some information didn't reveal accurately about this woman's situation. There was sweat and dirt defacing her outfit, but most of the dark stains were blood, focused heavily on her right side underneath some rips in her top. May progressed inspecting the stranger and saw some deep bruises on her clavicle where her sweatshirt was frayed. May gasped when she saw her face. Dark purple and yellow bruises covered what would otherwise be labeled as attractive. One particularly bad black eye contrasted against her green eyes and a gash on her cheek left a trickle of blood down the side of her face, congealing with some of the woman's hair now gummed there. It was the woman from the subway. "Oh my goodness. Are you okay? Of course you're not okay. Forgive me. My place is just right here. Come inside and I can fix you up."

The woman's expression had been resigned through May's inspection but it transformed to dumbfounded, her mouth popped open creating a small circle while her eyes widened almost comically when May gently took her by the upper arm, on what looked to be the uninjured side, and led her into the apartment. "Here we are. Sit there while I get my bag." The woman sat and tried to control a grimace of pain but May being used to spotting such things at the hospital could tell right away. "Don't you worry. We'll get you all fixed up." She left the room to get her bag; making sure Peyton's door was still closed. Her thoughts were racing and she calmly reminded herself that the patient was priority number. All her questions could be answered later.

"All right now. If you could just lay down here. There you go and I'm just going to lift up your shirt to under your ribs." The woman said nothing and complied with May's request. Her eyes were glued to May's face, not even leaving when May pulled her shirt away from the injuries. May clinically filed every injury from requiring immediate attention to those that could wait. It looked like there were multiple, shallow wounds, probably from something like a knife, and grazes to her side. Mercifully the bleeding had slowed in some of the more superficial wounds. As she began cleaning them she glanced up the woman's face once more, meeting her eyes. "I think we need to take you to the hospital." The woman's eyebrows furrowed. "No. No hospitals." May continued to assess the woman and could see there was no moving her. "Oh, very well. You're lucky that none of these are in that dangerous of a position but this is not the most conducive environment for healing."

A short laugh erupted from the woman. "Oh, luck had nothing to do with it. You should see the other guy." Her eyes widened, like she couldn't believe she had just said that and May couldn't tell if she was joking. She decided that it didn't matter for the time being. "What happened? And what should I call you? You obviously know my name and somehow know where I live?"

A look of deliberate blankness came across her face as the two women sat there. One stretched out on the couch, the other kneeling by her side. There was a minute amount of trust between them. May would have helped the woman either way for stepping in on the subway that night but there was something about her face that screamed she was alone. Something about the way the woman carried herself that had May's motherly instincts begging to pry. To step in and help. Carefully as not to scare her, May took her hand, smoothing her thumb over her knuckles. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me. I just want to see you safe."

The woman swallowed before glancing around the living room, her eyes came to rest on the picture of her, Ben, and Peyton. "You have a beautiful family," the small smile gracing her lips distorted in a moment. "I should go. I shouldn't have come. I'm sorry." She made a move to stand up and leave, when May's hand tightened over hers.

"Please, It's okay. You're hurt and need rest. Our place is open to you however long you need assistance. Please, let me help you." The woman looked like she was debating. Deliberating whether it was worth staying, whether May was telling the truth. Finally she spoke, "You can call me Nat." That was a start. May could work with that.

"Okay, Nat. I'm May. Pleased to meet you." They shared another smile as Nat's hand warmed in her own. She continued cleansing the wounds, disinfecting it of all bacteria. One of them needed stitches and then May set about dressing them. She was looking at the gash on Nat's cheek when Peyton came out of her room. Walking casually to the kitchen, too casually. Her steps were careful unlike her usual clomping, which had May suspicious. Peyton had heard their visitor and was trying to get a look for herself. Nat strained herself, trying to remain nonchalant but the set of her spine changed and May could tell she was stressed. "It's only my niece," She told her in a low voice. Louder, in order to reach across the apartment she said, "Peyton you can come out."

Her niece sheepishly came out from the kitchen and stopped short when she saw the woman lying down on their couch. The bandages were all covered, only Nat's bruised face could be seen. She wasn't sure if Peyton would faint over any blood. "Peyton, this is Nat. Nat this is my niece, Peyton." Peyton had the most particular expression over her face. It had become pale, her hand trembling over the glass of water she was holding. "Peyton? Are you all right?" Her niece said nothing but continued to look at Nat. May swiveled to stare at the other woman. Her expression returned blank but almost defiant with an impressive brow arch.

"Uh, hi, Miss Nat pleased to meet you. I, uh, forgot I had this huge essay due. So. Yeah, an essay. I'm going to go do that. Nice to meet you again. Yes, for sure an essay." She muttered as she left the room, looking over her shoulders to stare at them before she entered her room. The door slamming reverberated through the apartment leaving the two women alone. One shocked over her strange behavior, the other weary and almost amused. "She normally isn't so weird."

"Oh, I don't know. Her manners were impeccable."

Laughing May turned to finish dabbing the gash on her cheek. "I don't think this will scar. I'm going to put some ointment on it and it should be gone when it heals." She left the room going to her bathroom trying to find the scar gel. Normally she wasn't so impulsive. But something in this woman, in Nat she reminded herself, brought out a protective instinct in her. May didn't even want to begin imagining what had happened to her. Sure she had acted tough but those were some wounds that didn't happen from falling down the stairs. Someone had hurt her. Not to mention the other yellowing bruises May had spotted littering her body. She grabbed the tube, returning to apply to the gel, and found Nat sleeping. Her face eased in a way May had never seen before. Without waking her May set down some essentials as well as a fresh pair of clothes in case she woke up in the middle of the night. She draped a blanket over the prone figure and went towards Peyton's room.

The girl was curled up in the corner of her bed; the yellow comforter was wrapped around her shoulders like a shawl. There were books spread out in front of her but she was just staring into space. May knocked on the open door and finally Peyton's attention shifted to her. An adorable blush raised on her cheeks as May lifted her eyebrow. "You okay sweet P?" She crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Who is she?" May knew this question was coming but wasn't quite sure how to respond. On one hand she could answer honestly. Tell her niece about the subway incident. It really wasn't that big of a deal. But then Peyton would worry and might be hesitant to take the subway, although caution was never a negative thing. And then there was the fact that she was basically letting a stranger into their home. On the other hand she could just gloss over the facts. It would be easier to grasp and May was tired but lying to her niece always created this hallow feeling in her chest. She decided to go for an in between solution.

"I met her about a week ago and she helped me out of a tight spot. I gave her my business card and she must have felt like there was nowhere else for her to go. Her wounds were pretty serious and I promised her she could stay as long as she wanted. I'm sorry sweetie, I should have told you but I didn't want you to worry." A relieved expression crossed the girl's face.

See, she did know what she was doing she snapped to all the doubtful thoughts. She kissed the girl's cheek goodnight telling her to get her if she needed anything and left the room. The apartment was dark again but this time as May walked around it felt a little less empty. The sounds of three different people breathing again warmed her heart and she gave another silent prayer; this time for the woman who was currently sleeping on her couch. Lying in bed she thought of the day. How much emotion could be crammed into less than twenty-four hours? She didn't accomplish much on her mission but she smiled fondly to the ceiling at the memory of syrup drizzling down Peyton's chin, of Nat's hand warm beneath hers and the weight of Peyton's head resting against May's knees as they sat there in the afternoon.

* * *

Thank you all so much for reading!

Let me know what you think.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Hi everyone! Hope your week is going well :)

* * *

She hadn't believed her eyes when she saw the Black Widow sitting on the couch with May. Hearing voices coming from the living room was odd because they never usually had people over. May worked too much to have a bunch of friends and Peyton normally just went to Ned's house. He always had the latest video games and Lego sets to play. She tried to sneak into the kitchen to catch a glimpse of whoever was there. Of course May heard her, she swore the woman had super hearing sometimes, and called her out to the living room.

And there was the Black Widow hanging out with May on the couch. A cold sweat swept through her body as she stared at the woman beside her aunt. Did she know about Spidergirl? After much nagging Mr. Happy had told Peyton that Captain America had gotten away, did she help? She could do this. She could take down the assassin if she wanted to. Maybe. Peyton could feel her hands trembling from a distance and realized that they were both staring at her. She tensed her muscles, ready to jump into action if necessary. But that's when she really looked at Nat, as her aunt told her. The woman's skin was sallow and marred with bruises. May's emergency medical bag was sitting on the coffee table and there were bloody bandages on a plate next to it. She was hurt then, not a threat for now. Peyton stared at Nat's face and noticed the hope and respect written clearly over it as she gazed at May. She had only ever seen it determined in battle before; it somehow made her seem softer. Nat glanced back a Peyton curiously but she noted with relief, no recognition. All Peyton had to do was gather herself and make sure her aunt stayed safe. She gave some excuse and hurried away to her room, the sound of their laughter leaving a pit in her stomach.

Had Mr. Stark sent her after Peyton? Did he want the suit back? She was brought out of her thoughts when May came into her room and, like always, said exactly the right words. Apparently May knew Miss Nat somehow, which was a whole other can of worms that Peyton tried not to worry about. As long as she didn't know about Spidergirl she was safe. Mr. Stark trusted the Black Widow and that was enough for her. They had been fighting on the same side after all. But he hadn't sent her for Peyton. Disappointment mingled with relief at the news that her secret was safe. This was good. He didn't want the suit back. There was no reason to be disappointed he hadn't sent Miss Nat. The suit was her one connection back to him and she wanted to keep it. It reminded her that their time was real and she was loath to give it up. She knew she was being a silly teenager. They had only known each other for two weeks but in that short time he had come to mean a great deal to her. She thought about all the times she would tell him about school and decathlon. How he would ask her, prod her, into telling him when she was having a bad day. It made her feel warm inside, like he concerned about Peyton the person.

When she awoke the next morning to go to school she silently peaked out of her room and into the living room. From her vantage point she couldn't tell if Miss Nat was still on the couch. Cautiously, not wanting to wake her if she was still sleeping Peyton crept down the hall and peered over the coach. The bedding was folded at the end, the glass sat empty on the coffee table. Sighing in relief she walked into the kitchen, grabbing a piece of bread May bought the other day.

"Good morning Peyton." She whirled around, grabbing her chest as she faced the woman. Her heart was beating frantically, pounding too fast for so early in the morning. Miss Nat smiled and raised her mug of coffee. "I made more if you need some. Your aunt left for work already."

"Oh, um. Thank you. I don't really drink coffee. Makes me super anxious." She laughed awkwardly and stood there staring, the piece of bread still dangling from her hand.

"You seem familiar," the woman leaned across the table as she inspected Peyton. "Have I met you somewhere before?"

"Um, I don't think so. You know, I get that a lot actually." She brought her hand to the back of her neck, trying to rub away the warmth there and shifted her eyes from the door back to the sitting woman. There was no way she was going to connect herself to Germany or anything. It seemed like her aunt and Miss Nat were friends and she didn't want anyone to spill her secret, least of all to May. "Are you feeling better than yesterday?"

"Yes, thank you. May did a wonderful job fixing me up."

"She's good like that. I was a pretty clumsy kid and whenever I came home with a cut or scrap she would be right there, ready to fix me up." She smiled at all the memories and the feeling of guilt crept up again until she reminded herself why she was trying to distance herself. "Sorry, um, you probably don't care."

"Don't be sorry Peyton. We were talking. It is normal, I think, for people to share when getting to know each other. You have a lovely family, though I haven't met your uncle." A weight dropped inside her as she realized what Nat meant.

"Oh, um, you mean Uncle Ben? He's not here. What I mean to say is he…" She tried to say the word aloud, to get it out but her throat kept tightening. Nat looked apologetic at her inquiry but not uncomfortable at Peyton's difficulty in speaking.

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry to hear that. I can tell you loved him very much."

"Yeah. I did. He was the best." Peyton cleared her throat, desperate to get out of the stifling apartment. "I have to get to school but you can, um, there should be food in the fridge. I hope you feel better though. Do you need anything while I'm out?"

"No, thank you though, Peyton. I appreciate it. It was a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to seeing you again."

"You as well Miss Nat." The woman laughed and like all the adults in her life corrected her address to just Nat. Peyton glanced back at the woman sitting there reading some self-help book from their table, coffee steaming in front of her. The bandage was secured tightly across her cheek making her look as dangerous as she actually was. She waved goodbye and left for school wondering whether their guest would still be there when she got back.

* * *

"Hey, uh, Happy. Hi, Mr. Stark if you're there. Not that I expect you to listen to these; they are pretty boring. Anyway, I just wanted to report back on my patrols today. Overall it went pretty good. I, uh, explored. I mean scouted a new area. I saw this really yummy looking Thai place. Helped someone carry a bunch of set pieces to a new stage for their production. The play looked really interesting. It was about a sailor's wife who gets tired of waiting for him to come back so she learns to sail and they live on the sea together. I stopped some guy from harassing his ex-girlfriend. You should have seen his face when in all my grand stature, told him to go away. It was awesome. Anyway, and then I just hung out for a bit. By the way that was a completely different Spidergirl you saw helping them wash the windows on the Woolworth. So, yeah, that's what I did today. I hope everything is going well. Thanks again for everything. Um, I'm going to go now. This is Peyton by the way. Parker."

Her apartment was silent when she got back. Breathless. Pale lights streamed in from the windows in the living room giving the room an otherworldly appearance. The smell of dust and stale garbage swept through the air from under the sink. She must have forgotten to take it out this week. Not bothering to turn on any lights Peyton moved through the darkness, avoiding the beams of light as she went. Heading straight for the bathroom that her and May shared, Peyton wondered when May would be home. She had taken to spending nights and between shifts in the nap room at the hospital sometimes if she picked up an extra shift. Sunday being a rare gift of time away. May had been so relieved about the 'conference' Peyton went to. She had gushed all about how Tony Stark had dropped her off at home and then worried about how pale he seemed. "Invite him over sometime, P. I'll make my famous lasagna. That will put some meat back on his bones." Peyton just laughed and tried to explain that she wasn't really working closely with Mr. Stark but May just brushed that off with a knowing smile.

The lights in the bathroom flickered before remaining on as Peyton stepped out of her suit. The red and blue fabric crumpled in a pile on the floor; so different than the neatly folded briefcase it had arrived in. She needed a shower before she could even try to sleep and as was her ritual of self pity went over all the reasons Mr. Stark wasn't contacting her. Again. The plane ride home had been better than before. It was difficult to not fall asleep during the flight and she caught herself dozing multiple times before jerking herself awake. At one point she could feel her head bobbing, as the plane got darker. Mr. Happy must have noticed, or maybe he was just bored of his phone, because he came over and they played a couple rounds of Spit. Which turned out to be diverting. Happy had won the first round because it had been the first time she played that game. But the rounds after that her speed won over and she dominated each round. "I think we have a cheater over here. No one can beat me." His good-natured smile contradicted his harsh words and they both shared a conspiratorial look.

He hadn't asked her any personal questions, for which she was grateful. Happy acted like there was nothing abnormal about the situation they had just come from. When they landed he walked them over to another big car, Peyton wasn't sure the model, and loaded her luggage including the briefcase to her suit. She had raised her eyebrows in question. "It's yours Peyton. The boss said to make sure you took it home with you." Her cheeks had flushed with happiness and not thinking, she threw her arms around Happy. She could feel the ridged set of his spine and immediately mimicked it. Murmuring an apology she started to pull away when she felt arms wrap around her. Had someone told her at the beginning of this trip that she would be hugging Happy, she would have been concerned for their health. But here she was. Happy patted her back and let go, clearing his throat before awkwardly motioning to the car. Peyton's smile lasted pretty much the whole trip home.

"Thank you so much Mr. Happy, uh, Happy. I really appreciate the ride and, well, for everything. Just thank you." He had given a soft grunt as he surveyed the neighborhood surrounding them. She watched him from the stairs and waved vigorously, probably looking like a fool. He appeared as if he was debating whether to wave or not. He shook his head to himself and started pulling forward still seeing Peyton's arm wagging in the air. Last minute he raised his hand, moved it jerkily once to the left and right and sped off. The tail lights melting into the night air.

Her stomach growled but she ignored its whining. Peyton felt like she hadn't eaten anything in a year. It had many hours since lunch and her mind felt sluggish, needing more sustenance. Shower first, then food. She turned without looking in the mirror, not wanting to see the damage quite yet, and stepped into the steaming hot shower. The water ran down her sides and loosened her muscles as it went.

Happy had said they would contact her. But did that mean they would contact her either way or only if they needed something. She worried it might be the latter option. Mr. Stark hadn't looked at her except for the brief smile they shared. She tried to not be affected. Sure, she hadn't listened to the plan. But she thought that she helped. Her plan to take down Ant-Man had worked and at the time it had sounded like Mr. Stark was proud. But she was so elated that she became careless and like it always seemed she had ended up hit down, left behind. She wanted to see that proud face again, to hear the delight in his voice when he defended her plan against the other Avengers. But he had shipped her straight back to Happy. Peyton realized he had just been through something she couldn't fully understand, but she wanted to talk with the man.

As she stepped out of the shower she glimpsed her side out of the corner of her eye and sighed at what she saw. The bruises stood out against her pale skin looking like dark tattoos up and down her sides. A yellow tinge was starting to take over towards the middle of one particularly nasty one right where her ribs ended. They should have been healed already; not eating must have affected her more than she thought. She hadn't reported the worst of her patrol. The ex-boyfriend had been more than just shocked and his outrage had been taken out on her. But at least the woman was safe and he wouldn't be bothering her anymore. She just needed to eat and then they would heal right up. Out of the shower she went into her room, ignoring the mess of books in the corner and walked straight to the pile of clothes on her bed. Picking out clean pajamas from the heap she felt mostly brand new. Peyton kept the lights off as she walked to the kitchen, her head aching a touch, and brought her food back into her room to eat in bed.

As she laid on her mattress Peyton thought about how distant her and May had become. Ever since she had gotten these abilities, she had started to detachment herself from May. Penny had seen the damage that happened to the loved ones of heroes and could not take that chance. There was footage of Pepper Potts almost falling into the Pacific Ocean, the damage the hulk had created, and all the chaos that seemed to follow heroes like the stink of an unwanted guest. The weekends were actually some of the times that Peyton broke her rule about isolating herself and let them spend some time together. Those hours felt like her own secret get away; just spending time watching a movie or baking with May. It felt like before she was Spidergirl. Before life started getting hectic. May always worried about Peyton but she had assured her aunt that it was okay. That Peyton appreciated all the hard work she was doing. She had been so embarrassed to have broken down in front of May like that but all of the frustrations and loneliness had just boiled up in her until it burst out of control. It had felt good to release all her emotions and May's touch had induced a sense of belonging back into her.

But it couldn't last. If anyone should find out about her secret identity and go after May. Well, she didn't know what she would do. There were few memories that she had of her parents. Their smiles were hidden behind a mist of the past. And then Ben had . . . gone. There was no way Peyton could even think about him now. And May was the only one left. The only one who cared. Peyton was absolutely not going to be the cause of her getting hurt.

So Peyton started patrolling longer and holing herself in her room. Working harder and harder at school. At first Peyton could tell that May was hurt. She had used their favorite thai restaurant as a temptation multiple times but Peyton had held strong. Now and again she would find little chocolates in her room with a note saying, "I love you." Each time she found one it made her heart hurt so much and the feeling of loosing someone invaded her all over again. But it was all worth it. No, it wasn't fair to May; none of it was. May had a sad resignation about her anytime she asked Peyton to hangout. But the important thing was that May was alive and well. She was working too hard, trying to keep them afloat. Peyton had seen the bills May had hidden in the breadbox and they were rapidly stacking up. Her stomach clenched at the stress she was putting May under. Okay, so mostly well and safe.

Her thoughts circled back to Mr. Stark. It had been like a century. Well, seven days to be exact but those seven days had dragged on endlessly. Each morning she would wake up and snatch her phone of the nightstand. The brightness blared into her sleep laden eyes but that didn't matter. She scanned her notifications to see if Mr. Stark had contacted her and each morning she was left disappointed. Now she was stuck at home, itching to do something. Not even anything from Happy and she even thought that they had left on pretty good terms. The man had taken care of her while Mr. Stark had finished fighting. But she had heard nothing and it wasn't for lack of trying. Her voicemails were getting progressively longer and more annoying with everyday. What if she had the wrong number?

"We'll call you."

But what did that mean? Mr. Stark had been so good about giving her the information about the Germany trip and now she felt stranded on an island he had personally marooned her on. Well, she would just have to prove herself. Yes, that was it. She would patrol longer and harder, find bigger fish to fry so to speak. If she could just show Mr. Stark that she could do it everything would be okay. Happy got the voicemails but maybe if they were impressive enough he would send them onto Mr. Stark.

Her desperation was starting to affect more than just her thoughts and her nerves were going haywire. She had been snappier than usual, taking out her frustration on Ned and had even been close to going off on MJ when she snuck up behind Peyton at their lockers today. Her decisions on patrols had also been getting sloppier than normal. But it just seemed like her brain was giving her body the cold shoulder. They weren't communicating properly and as a result her patrols were getting more dangerous. But what did it matter? She was still helping people and in those moments of danger the feeling of being alone seemed to disappear.

* * *

"If you're so sure I'm not a threat why don't you come get me then?" The blood was rushing down her body and pooled in the crown of her skull. Her feet were the only part of her body securely attached to the ceiling; the rest was dangling in mid-air. She puffed her chest trying to be as intimidating as possible, which should have been easy in the suit, but somehow these buffoons were not receiving the signal. The duo stared at her seemingly confused as to why she was trying to stop them. "I can hang here all day gentleman but somehow I think those stupid looks would still be plastered on your faces."

That was a step in the right direction. At least the one in the knitted cap had the idea to look insulted. The other man, a balding, rail thin, weasel just stood there. "Uh, boss? I thought Spiderman was, you know, a boy and all." The cap clad man turned so his back now facing her and gave the weasel a thump on the head.

"Where'd you hear that Joe?"

"Boss," The whining in Joe's voice almost made Peyton want to stop them right there but this was too entertaining. "It says man right in the name." That gave the boss a moment's pause before he swiveled back to look at her accusingly.

"Well, now. What do you have to say bout that Spiderman?" She gave a small shrug and said "Last time I checked I was a girl. What about it?"

The weasel stepped forward "I'm real sorry about that Miss Spiderman. We meant no harm." He looked properly contrite and Peyton was almost touched by his concern.

"At least I would know how to rob a warehouse properly and why are you robbing here of all places?" It was just a regular warehouse, looked like it had been rundown for years when she had caught wind of these two keystone cops trying to break in. They weren't in costume, as some criminals were prone to wear in New York (you get some real weird ones), but were actually in uniforms matching the signs outside. So why would employees be looking to rob their workplace? All three of them stared at each other before what she said sunk in. Then they spoke at once over each other.

"Spiderman robs stores? What're you trying to stop us for?"

"I'm telling you boss. It's a woman."

"I mean, I would know if I were a bad guy. You know, but I'm here to stop… Ouch." A burning pain erupted from her side as she brought her hand instinctively over the origin of it. Raising her gloved hand in front of her face she noticed a darkening of the material, the smell of iron permeated into the air. She dropped down to the ground and saw a third man standing there. Blazing gun in his hand.

"What are you two idiots doing? We need to get in and out fast. They will be alerted and on their way soon." This one was larger than the other two, both in height and width, and Peyton was upset that she had missed the fact that there were three of them working together. The burning was spreading out from her side as her hand clasped the wound, trying to stifle the blood.

"Not so fast." Her voice sounded stronger than she felt. Having never been shot before was slightly worried about what would happen. She did have faster than normal healing but would this be too much for her body? Would she have to go to the hospital? Pushing those thoughts away she had to focus on apprehending these guys first.

She webbed the man with the gun first, making sure to punch him extra hard. Twice for good measure. "That's for shooting me. It really hurt." His head bobbed there until it sunk down in unconsciousness and then twirled to face the two other men. Their faces looked surprised, like they didn't really think she was going to stop them until now. She needed to act quickly. The blood had started running quicker and she could feel it coating down her left thigh.

"Alright. Who wants to go first?" Not waiting for an answer she pitched both hands forward and webbed them over their mouths. Jumping over the two of them she grabbed one arm from each and handcuffed them together, doing the same to the other arms before webbing them directly to the floor. Making sure they were all secure Peyton stumbled out of the warehouse, gasping for fresh air. All the movement had not done her side any favors and the throbbing was getting worse.

A tingling feeling swept over her abdomen as she stood in the deserted alleyway. Her heart was beating unbearably fast but a fog made its way over her thoughts. She should call Mr. Stark. That's really all she wanted to do. But she couldn't. He obviously didn't want her contacting him. Happy was only being nice. The itching around the opening was getting worse and begun to heat up making her gasp. Peyton was scared. She didn't know what to do and was alone. This time her loneliness crushed her, making it painfully obvious that she had no one. Her knees gave out as she felt hot moisture gather in her eyes. All she wanted was to have her aunt hold her like she had that weekend, her fingers caressing her like she was a little girl again. The heavy tears began to fall freely making her mask uncomfortably wet. But she did not want to remove it. Did not want to have the world bare witness to her weakness. What a sight she must have been, a pitiful girl kneeling in a puddle. The alley's shadows bringing forth her every fear and insecurity as she bent her head in her hands.

A cool hand touched her shoulder and she noticed a pair of red boots standing before her. Now she was just imaging things, there was no way he would be here after everything. Iron Man was the strongest Avenger and she was too weak. He wouldn't want her, had shown that he didn't want her anymore. "Peyton. You okay?" She didn't respond, not seeing the point, as he wasn't actually in front of her. Slowly the hand moved from her shoulder and she missed the weight of it there. The reminder that he could be here in her thoughts. It moved to the back of her head and carefully pulled her mask off, dragging the water trails and snot along her face. She couldn't look away from those shoes. Couldn't bear to see if he was there or not. She heard a swish and felt a very real human hand under her chin.

"Peyton, sweetie. I'm right here." The hand slowly brought pressure and she peaked upward and directly into his brown orbs. More tears gathered as she stared at the lines around his eyes. "There she is. I'm so sorry Peyton. More than I can ever say."

Her face crumpled as the tears building blurred his face. The hand under her chin moved to cup her cheek. Tentatively she leaned into the hand, taking comfort in the coolness against her feverish skin. It was getting harder to ignore the buzzing in her head but didn't want to move away from the hand. She could feel him moving her other hand away from the wound and swear at what he saw.

"Come on Peyton. We need to get you to a doctor." Frowning, she tried to shake her head no. There was no way she could go to a doctor. She wasn't even wearing her mask. His words were becoming fainter and a heartbeat roared in her ears, the pulses steadily beating slower. His voice sounded insistent but she couldn't concentrate on anything besides the red and gold of his suit. Her legs gave out and she felt the cool hands catch her from sliding fully into the puddle. The beating was all she knew as the world tunneled to red, then black.

* * *

Thank you for reading and commenting!

Let me know what you think.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Hope everyone'e weekend is going well and the weather is nice!

* * *

The girl in his arms was impossibly light as he flew through the air. The skyline was illuminated as Tony passed by but he felt none of the warmth that normally entered him when taking it in. The strips of neon rainbows seemed to shine on all the more sinister spots of New York, bringing an entirely new city to life. But Tony didn't notice the way the overhangs shadowed his suit as they flew past or how the sky was turbulent and grey, staining the city with its taint. The cries of people in anguish echoed up the building's glass and, falling on deaf ears, dissipated into the clouds. No, none of this was superficially apparent to Tony but the despair permeated into his bones, eating its way through them and leaving him with a hollow feeling. The entirety of his focus and concern was on Peyton and getting her in the capable hands of Dr. Casab.

Claudia Casab was a brilliant doctor who specialized in those with supernatural gifts. Tony had approached her way before Iron Man in an effort to aid the people being pursued after by the government. He had seen how the government, the people who were supposed to be looking after it's citizens, was discriminating and hunting those with super abilities. Claudia was part of a research company Supers Incorporated, S.I. ironically, that not only helped those people understand but control their gifts so they wouldn't be a danger, so they could lead a normal life. They had been working together on and off through the years, mostly Tony just donating money. But when he had first become Iron Man it had taken adjusting and she had always been willing to lend an ear when he was having a hard time. She had also assisted him in setting up the Medbay in the tower when he had thought that there would be people living with him. Friday had already gone ahead and alerted the woman and he knew that she would be ready when they got there. The wind whipped past him as he soared toward the tower, a beacon to him like a lighthouse to an adrift ship. He stared down at the girl in his arms. The mask was back on to protect her face from the wind and the pupil-less eyes stared back, unnerving him. His sweatshirt was wrapped around her side in an attempt to stop the bleeding as they flew.

Friday had interrupted a bout of self-pity, her words sounding urgent. "Boss, Update from Peyton's suit. It says she was injured." Not bothering to ask any questions, none were as important as making sure she was going to be okay, he was out of the tower in minutes. It wasn't like he was doing anything anyway, although taking a fair amount of time, he wasn't sure if his pity party counted. Following Friday's directions he pushed as hard as he could to get there in time.

He landed, water splashing the walls of the alley beside him to see the kid bowed knee deep in water. With caution he approached her, reaching out to touch her shoulder, to let her know someone was there. There was no response from the girl in front of him. He tried to speak low and calm, tried to get a reaction but there was nothing. His worry took over as he pulled her mask off to try and get a look at her. Her posture remained the same and as much as that hurt him, he had to make sure she wasn't injured badly. Speaking in quiet tones and he lifted her chin so the kid would look at him. So he could see into her eyes. The face that stared back at him was transformed into a stranger.

Her eyes were puffy and full of tears that built tracks down the sides of her cheeks and mixed with the snot and dirt caked onto her face. Those eyes that he looked into haunted him. At first they help no recognition. Glazed over in so much emotion it was hard to decipher which foul sensation was more present there. But then they flipped and she saw him. It was no longer a stranger's face before him but it was his Peyton. Her tears started running faster now and he could feel his own answering. He tentatively felt her side and was disturbed by the amount of liquid he felt. Cupping her cheek she leaned into his hand and his beating heart stopped for a moment. Her skin pressed against his lit a warmth inside that he had never felt before. If she could take any comfort he had to give, he would willingly transfer it. But he had to focus. Pulling his hand away from her wound he swore at how much fluid. He could see her eyes were loosing focus once again and knew they needed to leave rapidly. Her head caved to gravity before he caught her and launched off.

They landed at the tower without his usual pizazz and he left his suit behind in the landing room. They didn't need Iron Man right now; she didn't. Cradling the kid to his chest he could feel the liquid had seeped through the layers surrounding her and begin sinking into his own clothes. Her head lulled onto his shoulder in a graceless manner.

Nurse Park was a portly man, as practical as he was kind (generous in both) and the jolliest stomach protruded into any room he walked in. He was waiting for Tony near the entrance with a hospital bed. "Bullet wound to the left abdomen. I couldn't get a clear look so I don't know how deep." The words were hard to get out, like a chunk of bread he had swallowed and now was lodged in his throat. Park strode toward him to take the burden from his arms and Tony tightened his grip on Peyton, taking a subsequent step backward. The girl groaned at the onset of pressure and Tony glanced down at her. The paleness of her skin stood out against his t-shirt like the moon hanging against a starless sky.

"It's alright Tony. We're going to get her all fixed up." He held his hands out in a placating manner and Tony stepped back to his original spot, transferring his charge over. He watched as Nurse Park set her down on the bed, making sure her head was supported and there was pressure on the wound. Then he wheeled the bed away; Park's scrubs the last thing he saw round the corner. The room was empty besides his short breaths. And he hadn't exerted himself enough to use that as an excuse. His heart was pounding and he was sure it had moved right next to his ear. It was so deafening. Looking down at his hands he thought he hadn't removed his metal gloves until he realized what he was staring at. He ran to wash the stains off and grasped at the soap dispenser, knocking it into the sink at first. After soaping them so none of the ruddy color could shine through he scrubbed until they felt on fire. Repeating the process until his exhaustion made him stoop forward, afraid to see if the soap had accomplished it's job. Then, only when he was sure there would be nothing left, he rinsed the soap away to stare at the raw but clean hands in front of him. The sinks edge sunk into his back as he leaned there, staring at his hands. Seeing what wasn't there anymore.

Trying to shake off the growing pit in his stomach he began walking forward, to all outward appearances the picture of determination. Entering the Medbay he saw that Park was in the room with Peyton, making sure she was comfortable. Tony could see the dressings wrapped around her waist. He approached Dr. Casab in the outer room. They stood shoulder to shoulder, her voice bringing Tony out of his reveries. "Luckily the wound wasn't deep. She's going to need a lot of rest and sustenance. Her heightened healing rate is still undetermined but it looks like it's similar to that of Captain America. We found some of his medicine and it seems to be working for now. We'll have to run some more tests to optimize it for her in the future." He nodded. Her hand landed on his shoulder briefly in a show of solidarity. "She's going to be okay."

"I just feel like I failed her." His voice sounding frail, even to himself.

"Tony, we have known each other for a long time. And just the fact that you are here and worried shows that you have not failed. Her or yourself." He smiled at her briefly, hoping she was right and walked into her room from the antechamber they were just standing in. She wasn't due to wake up for an hour or so because of the amount of medicine they gave her but Tony was ready to wait and pulled up a chair beside her bed. He had a lot to sort through before he could begin to say anything to the kid.

It had been the week from hell and Tony could still feel the residual heat rushing through his veins. He couldn't even think about Steve without a gale of anger so extreme that his vision would concave in itself. He kept seeing Steve's face in that last moment and it never failed to bring a squeezing sensation to his chest, making his breath quicken. He rubbed the reactor out of habit, trying to comfort himself. Attempting to cope with that he had locked himself in his lab, tinkering away to find a suitable solution for Rhodey. Trying to distract himself. But when that was done he was left with his thoughts so he spent the better part of the time keeping the company of his liquor cabinet. He gripped his elbows tightly in an effort to remain in the moment. To not focus on how far he had slide backwards into his old mantle. Thankfully he was sleeping the worst of it off when Friday had notified him of Peyton's predicament. Looking over her now he thought that she looked older, more mature than the last time he had seen her. Almost weathered for someone so young. He took her hand in his and bowed his head.

"Kid. Peyton, I'm sorry, more than words can ever say. You got hurt and if only I had been there, if only I had been looking out for you. Well, I don't know if that would have happened. But I wasn't and now you've landed in the hospital, twice. I thought that if I left you alone, you would be protected. Safe from harm and safe from me. It just seems like lately everything I touch disintegrates into nothing. I didn't want that to happen to you. You are too good and I was afraid I would taint that, leech it away from you. And I was upset because I thought our mentorship thing was going well. You know? I had a lot I wanted to teach you, to show you about the world, how to be a badass and that sort of thing. And you even taught me. Inspired me to be better. So yeah, I don't know if the whole distance thing is going to work out. I'm sorry, jeez I don't think I could ever say it enough, but I'm sorry that I wasn't there. I think that, whether you like it or not, I'm going to have to keep an eye on you, probably two. Make sure your not going and getting yourself shot anymore."

"I didn't get myself shot." Her voice was weak but it resounded around the quiet room breaking him free from his monologue.

"Well you could have fooled me, kid." He leaned forward and mimicked his actions in the alley. Cupping her cheek he stared into her wide eyes. "Thank you Mr. Stark." She leaned into his hand and he smiled, moving it to feel if her forehead was hot. "I'm not sick." Her arms crossed in front of her in a brilliant imitation of a five year old. Ignoring her he pretended to check her pulse and uttered a grave sigh.

"By god, she's dead!" He spoke loudly with a fist clenched over his heart and the other thrown over his eyes. He peaked out from under his arm to see the smile and giggles erupt from the kid. To top off his dramatics he slide down in his chair and pretended to faint. The laughter continued and his lips spread wide for that glorious sound. A knock from the door interrupted Tony's dramatics. Dr. Casab poked her head in raising an eyebrow at Tony's acting.

"You should definitely keep your day job. And how's our patient doing?" Her smile was kind as she walked over to Peyton, assessing her. She began reading over the clipboard and checking over the machines. "Oh, I'm feeling fine. Thank you." Peyton's arm remained crossed as she leaned away from the doctor's probing.

"I'm glad to hear that. The only reason you were out so long is because we had to calibrate the serum for your heightened metabolism and the measurements weren't exactly precise but now we will know should anything else happen. So you shouldn't feel any side affects besides maybe some lasting grogginess. Let's have a look, shall we?" Dr. Cho came over and clinically had Peyton lift her shirt just past the dressings. With care she pulled off the cotton protecting the bullet wound. Tony sucked in his breath at what he saw. Or perhaps what he didn't see would be the better phrase. Her skin was unblemished, unmarked with anything. Whistling, he shared a look with Dr. Casab.

"That looks great Peyton. A swift recovery." Peyton blushed and stammered out some response. Thanking the doctor again and again. Dr. Casab wished them a good day after discharging the kid and left them alone. All his worry remained stagnant even though there was no reason for it now that she was healed; an anxious itching pervaded his body. He needed to get out.

"Why don't we blow this popsicle stand?"

"I don't know. What did you have in mind?"

"Where have you always wanted to go?" She pondered the question before turning bright red.

"Come on now. Anywhere you want."

"I've never been to Coney Island."

"It's right in our back yard. Sure you don't want to go somewhere more exotic?" She shook her head. "That wasn't so hard. Was it? What is it Peyton?" He said patting her shoulder. She shrugged a bit but wouldn't look him in the eye.

"It's just a place where Ben always said he would take me. But we never got a chance to go." His throat tightened at her pronouncement. Moving his hand so he was giving her a side hug he said, "Of course we can go kiddo."

Her hands flew to her face. "Oh no. What about May? She probably has the whole police force looking for me by now." He looked on fondly as she got herself into a tizzy.

"Kid, it's me we are talking about. I personally called May and told her we had another conference to go to."

"That's a relief. Wait. Since when are you and May on speaking terms?" Her arms were crossed again and Tony's smile widened.

"Oh we chat on the weekly. Just last time we were talking about our worst dates. Boy, she had some real doozies."

"Stop. I do not want to know what you guys talk about." She shook her head in disgust. "So weird."

And that's how Tony found himself holding a stuffed bear in one hand and an elephant ear in the other surrounded by excited children and exhausted adults. He was wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, Iron Man themed of course. And to top it off he was in one of his favorite cat t-shirts. Peyton was walking beside him, talking about some kid named Speed or something. The bully. What he wouldn't give to teach that kid a lesson. Oh, he had dealt with people like that his whole life: Naysayers, people who always put you down, and unnecessary harshness from family and friends. The familiarity of the feelings they invoked left him feeling nauseous. It was something he never wanted Peyton to face. But from what he could gather had been happening for a while. If he had his way the bully would never lay eyes on Peyton again and who even named their kid Speed? Something he had to look into, without Peyton knowing of course.

He glanced over to the girl and grinned. There was sugar all over her cheek from the elephant ear and she was now holding some cotton candy. Her head kept whipping back and forth to look at all the game stations and roller coasters. Tony marveled once again at how easily she forgave him. One thing he knew for certain is that he would have been way worse off if he didn't have this girl, this friend beside him.

Her good nature once again illustrated the compassion and fortitude she possessed and they inspired Tony to be more mindful of his actions. He could tell she was hurt though, weary of his actions. And could see every once in a while if he was silent she would stop talking, her spine going rigid before whipping around to make sure he was there. Her cheeks would turn red when she saw him and she would stammer some excuse but Tony knew what she was doing. He had done it himself every time his father had left on a business trip and he was waiting for him to come back. Running from his room every time it opened to see if the man was home yet and making a slow trek back when it wasn't whom he was searching for. He knew how that felt, to always be watching the door.

He had royally messed up but she had given him a second chance and he was not going to screw it up again. They were going to continue the mentorship and soon she would rise above the Avengers, be the best of them yet. He had blanched when she gave the reason why she wanted to go to the carnival. Hell, he had thought she would have said Tokyo or Rio. Somewhere amazing for them to go to. That's what he would have done. But she had looked so shy, so reserved. Then had explained why, had talked about her uncle. For some reason she had trusted him, with Spidergirl, with her safety, and with her self. Tony knew how she viewed him, could see it shining in her eyes and he hoped, prayed that he would not disappoint again. No, he wouldn't disappoint Spidergirl or Peyton again. He would be worthy. And speaking of worthy they had to make some upgrades to her suit. The material, while allowing for flexibility, did not protect as well as he wanted. Maybe something more durable or bullet proof would be superior.

He was disturbed from his thoughts by her hand in his as she dragged him to one of the rides. The twists and turns disturbed his stomach and vision so much she had to practically carry him from the cart to a bench. Her laugh penetrated the haze around him and he smiled muttering about his age. "Hey Mr. Stark." The cool breeze buzzed past them as they sat on a bench overlooking the ocean. He had cooled off for a while before they ventured to another sweet treat. They had both taken their shoes off to feel the sand in between their toes. She had bright pink polish on them. It was a pleasant looking. He took another bite of his ice cream before answering.

"What's going on in that mind of yours?"

"Its just I was thinking about those robbers I was trying to stop earlier." He nodded as she looked at him for confirmation to continue.

"And it just seemed weird. Like they had employee uniforms on and they seemed worried about someone being alerted, I assumed they meant whoever owned the warehouse. I took a quick peak around that place. It was a dump but just a regular looking building." He scratched his beard in thought.

"Maybe and I'm not saying this to diminish your thoughts but maybe they were just disgruntled employees trying to get back at a boss or lay offs or something? But I would trust your gut. In fact that's rule number seven you have to learn. Always trust your gut. No matter what anyone else, myself included tells you."

"We've got rules now?" The sarcasm was evident in her tone. "Yeah, maybe. Something just wasn't right about it." Glancing over he could see her eyebrows were knitted together in concentration, lips pursed. "I think I'm going to look into it more. Maybe go scout out the warehouse or something. I might have missed it the first time being so concentrated on the guys." They sat in silence, eating their ice cream and watching the sunset. The screams from the rollercoasters echoed against the waves drifting in from the water. He could see the kid yawning and they gathered up their stuff and went back to the car, stuffed bear in tow.

As they drove home Tony once again realized what an utter fool he had been. All his life he had been pushing away the people he loved, that loved him. He had done it with Pepper and most recently the kid. But today was just an example of how necessary it was to keep the people you loved with you. And it dawned on him that he loved her. This shy, compassionate kid from Queens. His heart swelled with the knowledge as he gripped the steering wheel. It felt like the fog he had been under was lifted and a new perspective on life had been downloaded into his system. He felt the potential energy coursing through him and was compelled to say something. No, this wasn't the right time. He had to prove himself, gain back her trust. Peyton got out of the car and turned to face him. The door was still open, stopping him from leaving. Her feet shifted back and forth as her hands fumbled with the hem of her sweatshirt. He grinned at her embarrassment while she was looking at the road and deadpanned when she looked up at him.

"Mr. Stark. I just, uh, was wondering. That is to say, I know you don't owe me. But, uh."

"It's okay, kid. Just spit it out. I won't bite."

"I, are we still. You know doing the internship thing? I just don't know if I should keep leaving those voicemails for Happy and I don't want to bother you. I mean today has been awesome and I want to thank you for taking care of me but I didn't want to assume and just worried I might be overstepping my bounds. The thing is…"

"Oh, sweetheart. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear earlier but you're stuck with me know kid and I will do anything to prove to you that." Her smile engulfed his heart.

"There's no one I'd rather it be, Mr. Stark."

"Yes, well." He cleared his throat. "Report back to the tower after practice tomorrow and we can look into that warehouse." She nodded, still smiling when she stopped and looked at him. "I trust your gut. You need to as well, rule seven and all. See you then," and drove off with a roar of his engine. Tony glanced up to his rearview mirror and saw the kid standing at the corner, facing his car as he drove away. She waved vigorously and once he returned the gestured she ran up the steps out of his view.

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Thank you all for reading and commenting. It seriously makes my day!

Let me know what you think.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Hi everyone! The long weekend really messed up my schedule. Here is the next installment. Hope you like it!

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Peyton's leg bounced up and down as she stared holes into the clock hanging above the wooden door. While Mr. Harrington's lectures were always interesting and science was her favorite subject, her heart wasn't in it today. So she sat pleading with the bell to speed time up and ring faster. The only distraction was the note that she and Ned had been passing back and forth to each other the whole hour. He was filling her in on the latest gossip, Rebecca and Steven had hooked up after the football game last week, and she was trying to figure out if they could hang out after school. Decathlon had been cancelled for some reason today and since Mr. Stark hadn't wanted her to come over until later she had some free time.

With everything happening lately she had been so preoccupied with herself that her friendship with Ned had been neglected. It was just so hard when you had this huge secret identity you couldn't tell your best friend about. It was easy making excuses in her mind when she was out saving the neighborhood. That was more important, right? She would just keep telling herself that it didn't matter; she had a duty to the people and to herself. Anytime she was swinging around the city the urge to drop in on Ned, to confess everything. The look on his face when she crawled into his window would be amazing but then she would remember the potential danger he could be and stayed where she was.

He was easy going but Peyton was weary of pushing him to far and this would kill two birds with one stone. Plus she just missed him. Missed the way his eyes lit up when they were walking home and how they would narrow, tongue sticking out when he was trying to put together an especially complicated Lego model. She would hang out with Ned, he had gotten some new games that she was dying to check out, and then be able to get to the tower in time to work with Mr. Stark. Who was taking her idea with a seriousness she hadn't expected. It felt good to be on top of everything for once. Yesterday was an absolute dream. The whole time she felt like she had to pinch herself to make sure she was awake. The salt air mixed with the sweetness of cotton candy was her new favorite scent.

Peyton had lain there awake from the moment he had entered the room. Dr. Casab and the nurse went above and beyond in making her comfortable before when she was conscious. While the nurse had made jokes and tried to make her smile, Dr. Casab treated her like an adult explaining the procedures and getting Peyton's consent to try the serum. The doctor eased the serum into her arm checking her vitals while pushing the syringe. Peyton was sure nothing would work since she hadn't been able to take any medicine since the spider bite with effectiveness. She was listening to the doctor talk when her words were coming slower and as she rested her head against the impossibly comfortable pillow her eyes closed of their own accord.

Then she was aware of her surroundings once again and heard, from the sound of the footsteps, the nurse puttering about the room. Not wanting to interact with anyone longer than necessary she had feigned sleep. She really wanted to ask where Mr. Stark was. Hoped he would still be there when she was awake and was frightened that he would go back to ignoring her now that she didn't need help anymore. There was no pain emanating from her side any longer and wondered if the medicine was still working it's magic.

The distinctive strides of Mr. Stark entered her hearing and her heartbeat increased. Firm yet not intruding they came into the room as she continued her façade. She was grateful that he had found her. That he had brought her here to get healed but a tinge of embarrassment flowed through her. The more she thought about it that pink blushing turned dark and red, twisting in her stomach. While he had no obligations to her, she had thought that they were past that; were beyond duty. Peyton enjoyed spending time with Mr. Stark. Soaked in the attention he gave her and loved learning from the genius. She had been so alone before he had landed on the rooftop and she counted on him but was sent to voicemail, quite literally. So she pretended to be asleep out of spite and squashed down the voice reprimanding her for the impolite behavior. She had the right to bide her time. To see how he would act before she decided how to proceed.

He sighed after a long breath in and began talking. The speech sounded like a rehearsal, he kept pausing and rewording segments of it. She understood that, knew exactly what it felt like to talk to someone unable to respond. The memories of her beloved uncle settled into a sterile bed invaded her thoughts. How much braver she felt when her words and tears leaked onto the white sheets next to him. Her face was pressed into them, breathing in the scent of lemon. The weight lifted in spilling her heart out knowing he couldn't hear yet still saying it anyway. Mr. Stark's hand anchored her back in the present and felt solid in her own. The words had been vulnerable, something she had never heard from the man before. His tone had made her throat tighten listening to his pleading. The cause of his anguish was a mystery to her though; she knew he would never do anything to hurt her. None of this had been his fault and it pained her to see him place the blame on himself. No, she had been the careless one. The one who desired to prove herself so much that she got thoughtless. No words, no matter how beautiful could erase the time of loneliness in her but his apology made the weight a small bit lighter.

She felt as small as a bug asking to go to Coney Island but it had slipped out without thought. It was one of the places she always wanted to go. Explaining why was difficult, although Mr. Stark didn't ask her to elaborate. That is where Ben had always promised to take her. Exploring their own neighborhood was one of Ben's favorite things. Walking home from work a different way each day he would look for their next new place, their next outing. Peyton remembered sitting on the stairs facing the front door as a child. Her legs dangling off the banister even when May had told her to be careful. Ben would open the door and look straight up to her spot, eyes twinkling. He would tug on one of her legs saying "Hello Peanut" and she would pester him until he announced his find of the week, pulling out a map and showing her exactly where it was. The same map hung on a wall in her room, penciled marks making it even more beautiful. It was one of the reasons she fought for the neighborhood so hard. She wanted to preserve all the memories she and Ben had and allow other people to experience them in the future.

She thought for sure Mr. Stark wouldn't want to go there. When you've seen the whole world how exciting could something close to home, something so mundane be. But he had smiled and his voice rising in pitch when listing off all the attractions there. He informed her about all his favorites rides and down to where the best stand for elephant ears were. Peyton's head spun from trying to see every single sign and attraction. The battle between the game masters and children was ringing all around them as each side tried to dominate against the other. Their first meal had been an elephant ear, which was the best one she had ever eaten, and then they moved on to round two, which was cotton candy.

They passed a couple of the games before walking by a ring toss. He had seen the way her eyes followed the flying disks and had stopped, demanding to play. Mr. Stark had been proud. Arrogant was probably the better word for it. He spoke loudly and announced, "Alright kid. Now see how the master does it." He rubbed his hands together and approached the man. "I would like that bear there," pointing to the prize. "I'll give you riches beyond your wildest dreams if you hand it over now." Peyton giggled behind her hand as the worker's blank stare remain unchanged. After three failed attempts the guy had laughed and even gave him a try on the house. Mr. Stark refused, saying the game was rigged and strutted away. She grabbed the ring from the game manager. Aimed, tossed and scored! The look on Mr. Stark's face when she ran up and gave him the bear was priceless. He muttered about her cheating, his hand stroking the fur on its head all the while. The bear sat on his shoulders for the rest of the day.

Now the hours left in school loomed before her. If she could just get through her and Ned could hang out and then finally she could go to the tower. There were only two more classes. That would be easy. No problem to get through, she hoped. Biology dragged on as she and Ned passed the note back and forth. The bell rang after what seemed like a century and they left the room in a hurry, waving to Mr. Harrington on the way out. She said goodbye to Ned as they parted ways to their last class. Social Studies while not her favorite subject still had material that fascinated her. What made the class unbearable was Mr. Ridermark. Their teacher, being a generous term, was simply an idiot. Not only did it seem like he had no clue what he was talking about but somehow concluded that she and Flash were friends. Extreme dread had filled her when he assigned seats and ended up seated next to Flash and all of his friends at a table. Not even MJ or someone from the Decathlon team was in the class to save her. She breathed in and out deeply before checking to make sure she had her book. Once secure she walked into the classroom. Mr. Ridermark was sitting at his desk attempting to get a powerpoint working while Flash was already sitting at the table. Crossing her fingers tightly she walked to her seat and set her backpack down underneath it where it was out of the way, tucking her fingers underneath her thighs.

It was only an hour. She could get through this class and then meet up with Ned. They would laugh and discuss all the ways Flash was a douche and it would make the pounding in her heart slow. Ned had a way of easing a situation, shining light on something Peyton would antagonize over for hours. She had met him the first day of high school. Her head had been glued to her chest, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. She remembered the blood draining from her face when she had ran into someone and fell down, books flying everywhere. The heat of embarrassment and trying get an apology out of her mouth still affected her if she thought about it. Ned helped her pick up her books and they stood there awkwardly for a second, neither of them speaking when he noticed her t-shirt. It had an atom loosing an electron and the other asks if it was positive. Cracking up Ned handed her papers back and complimented her. Shyly they compared schedules and noticed they had many of the same classes. The rest was history. They started hanging out more and more, joining the Decathlon team and fan-girling over the fandoms. Ned was such a good friend, the best.

Flash was in the middle of talking with someone and didn't immediately look up, to which her muscles loosened a bit. Casually she grabbed her American Pageant book out and began skimming the chapter. Of course she had already read it for homework but it offered a sort of protection. If she were reading people normally didn't bug her as much like she was somehow out of their reach surrounded by a force field. Mr. Ridermark called class to attention and began lecturing. He droned on about the Carolingian Empire. Flash kept glancing over at her but she kept her head down, not making eye contact. Less than an hour now.

"Hey Parker." She kept her focus, not even flinching at the vitriol in his voice. "I'm talking to you Parker. You better answer me." He leaned forward and grabbed the textbook from in front of her, moving it down where his book bag sat on the floor.

"Give that back, Flash. It's mine." She tried to keep her voice even but it wavered toward the end.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"I could, uh. I'm going to inform Mr. Ridermark." She internally winced at how much of a tattletale she sounded and Flash had the nerve to laugh at her. If she kept calm and ignored him, he would leave her alone.

"Good luck with that. You know I'm his favorite. He and my father are good friends." And dammit if he wasn't right. Their teacher showed a disgusting amount of favoritism, showering Flash with compliments. But today she felt brave; it wasn't Flash who had worked with Iron Man. It wasn't Flash who had stolen Captain America's shield. He couldn't stick to walls, didn't have super strength, or stop people from stealing bikes. No, that was her and she shouldn't have to be afraid.

"Listen here. You are going to give my textbook back to me and you aren't going to even look at me the rest of the day. Do you understand, Eugene?" She matched his posture and leaned toward him trying to harden her voice. Her smile widened like the Grinch at her checkmate. The other boys around them all "oohed" like beached whales at her statement. Something flickered in his eyes before his spine straightened once again.

"You? Peyton Puny Parker going to beat me up after school? I don't think so." There were patches of red creeping onto his cheeks and she should have just been the bigger person and left it alone but some voice inside urged her to continue. Lowering her voice so no one else could hear she whispered, "If you don't do what I say, Eugene, then I'm going to have to inform coach that you've been getting someone to write all your essays for you." Which Peyton didn't understand at all because no matter how much she disliked Flash, he was still one of the smartest people at the school. The exchange had happened before her eyes. She was late to school after a morning patrol and saw them. He met with some girl before class and traded an envelope, with what she assumed had money in it, for the paper due. His eyebrow was twitching now. He knew that could get him kicked out of Midtown not to mention seriously hurt his chance at college. Without saying a word he slid the book over and turned to face the front. His possy kept glancing between the two of them the rest of the hour.

She couldn't believe she just did that. The adrenaline coursing through her made her hands shake as she fumbled to open her book back up. The lecture hung around the air, not sinking in as she stared unseeing down at the words. That had felt good but a tinge of cold settled on her skin. Did she really blackmail Flash? She had never done that before. Would never be cruel unnecessarily but something in Flash's face set her off. Although it wasn't fair to blame him for her actions, she was just so tired of having to defend herself against people. All her wishing had come true and time fast-forwarded to the bell ringing.

"Miss Parker, can you stay after a moment?" It was said friendly enough but her stomach dropped. Walking up to his desk Mr. Ridermark sat there pushing papers around. She shuffled her feet back and forth dreading what he had to say. When he finally got them exactly straight he looked over and motioned for her to take a seat. "Now, Miss Parker I want to start off saying that you're not in trouble but I wanted to caution you against talking the whole hour. I know Flash is a charismatic guy but you missed out on a fabulous lecture about Charlemagne, which will be on the exam. In the future keep the chitchat between classes. I know that you have plenty of time to talk at practice." His eyebrows rose and a small smile played on his lips. "That will be all."

She got up stunned a bloom of heat settled on her cheeks; feeling like the air had been sucked from the room. It was unfair. She was not, nor would she ever be friends with Flash. He was the one who had stolen exams right from her hands before they were due to erase her answers causing her to start over. He would make fun of her clothes and always try and discredit her at Decathlon practices. All of that plus the constant verbal attacks whenever a teacher wasn't around.

Pacing down the hallway, she tried to get as far away from that classroom as possible. Did Mr. Ridermark ever talk with Flash about their so-called "chats" during class? So preoccupied with the unfairness she didn't notice someone coming up behind her until she fell forward, her face knocking into the lockers. The hallways were cleared now that school was over and they were alone in the hall. She lent into the locker her hand messaging her head as he puffed his chest to intimidate her.

"If you ever tell anyone what you think you saw Puny…" His breath was ragged from exertion as he stared her down.

"You'll what? Run crying to your daddy?" His eyes widened as he sucked in a breath.

"You know nothing about my father."

"I bet he would love to know how you got beat by a girl for top grades." He moved forward again trapping her where she stood. A vein popped out on his forehead as his hands shook at his sides.

"Shut up Parker." Did she listen? Of course not.

"I know he would love to know his son was cheating. Paying for help at school." His thin smile reminded her of how a shark's jaws looked, showing off all its volatile danger under the guise of something so friendly.

He stepped even closer, his breath uncomfortable on her face. "I said shut up." His voice had gone deathly quiet now and Peyton realized she had gone too far. Had crossed some invisible line. "You don't know what you are talking about." He pushed her again with more force into the locker. She raised her arms to defend against him; aware that she had to be careful least she seriously hurt him. He flinched when her arm came up and lashed out in reaction. She saw his closed fist coming toward her but didn't have enough time to react without hurting him. Her head slammed back into the locker as stars swarmed around her. A throbbing erupted from the back of her skull, which made it hard her thoughts sluggish. She tried to blink, taking a minute to focus and saw that Flash had backed up to the lockers on the other side of the hallway. His shoulder's hunched over as he stared down at his hands. His mouth gaping when he looked back up at her, taking in the damage he had just inflicted. She could feel the air piercing her lip as a trail of blood made its way down her chin.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered still staring in horror. "Peyton," his voice coming as barely more than a whisper and shook like it was taking all of his energy to force the two syllables name out. She didn't think he had ever said her name so depressingly nice before. He peeled himself from the locker he was slouching on to come back over to her side of the hallway, his hands stretched out in front of him. She backed away back pressed against the cold metal and froze him in place. Flash opened his mouth to say something then looked up and down the hallway. His face crumpled before her eyes as he stared at her. His eyebrows pinched and his mouth frowned deeply as he turned from her and ran until he turned a corner and was out of sight. Alone in the hall she slid to the floor, bringing her legs up to support her hand pressed against he face. What just happened?

While Flash had done things before he had never physically hurt her before. No one had ever raised a hand to her except when she was Spidergirl and then she could fight back, would be ready to defend herself. Her heart was pounding, beating its staccato pulse through her veins. She pulled out her cell phone her shaking hands making it difficult to text. Finally the message was sent and she turned off her phone not wanting to see Ned's reply. The last thing she wanted to do was go to his house right now. His mom while sweet was overbearing and Peyton could not deal with all the questions. Ned would be beyond worried about her as well which she didn't want to face. She might call May too who would then go straight to the principal without hearing the whole story, without knowing that Peyton had goaded him. Had part of the blame as well.

Walking in a haze she headed for the doors of the school and left. On autopilot she boarded the subway, not looking at the people she walked by. Her own actions made her queasy. How could she have done that? The nasty tone and hurtful words she spat at Flash kept circling back to her. She could see him sitting across from her on the subway. A misty apparition. His eyes, wide and searching her face, moisture pooling in the corners. Those hands, which held such force, were out in front of him, trembling over the act they had committed. Her cheek ached. The stop arrived, his hands the last thing she saw as she stepped off. She walked into the building, shivering in the windless air. Pulling her sweater around her tighter she scanned her I.D. missing the way the secretary's eyes took in her face.

Since when had she begun saying cruel things to people? That wasn't like her. She was the one who was supposed to protect people against that not instigate it. The way Flash lashed out at her made her stomach feel tight, uncomfortable. She would never have said anything about what she saw to anyone and just wanted to be left alone. Peyton walked to the center of the lobby, still trying to straighten out everything in her mind, how she could have been so cruel. How Flash had hurt her, more than just physically. The impact struck her again and she staggered to the couch. Her hand rubbed along her jaw trying to soothe the throbbing. After a moment she looked up past the swarm of people in the lobby. The fish she had been so mesmerized with before were still in the tank drifting back and forth while the chatter of people filtered around her. Her eyes followed the lazy swimming. Back and forth. Peyton tried to match her breathing to the bubbles floating upward but kept having to breath in faster than they breached the surface. The sound of familiar clicking of heels walking toward her brought her out of the trance.

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Thank you to everyone who has read or commented. I really appreciate it!

Please, let me know what you think.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Happy Wednesday! It has been raining on and off the whole day here. Hope the weather is nice wherever you are!

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Pepper sat at her desk shuffling through the papers scattered around her. She was organizing for a meeting that she had at the end of the week. This was a big one. Well, if she was being honest with herself and normally she tried to be it felt like every meeting was a big one since Tony appointed her in charge. Despite the respect the board showed her, let's face it she was a wildly better boss than her predecessor, she still felt like she had to live up to his name; to keep getting exponentially better. And although the work was a passion of hers, it was difficult to constantly try to prove she was worthy, even if it was just to herself. Her phone rang interrupting her thoughts. She played with a paperclip in one hand as Selena relayed to her what the guy at the front desk had just called up to her. "Hi boss. Rob just called me to say that a girl just tried to swipe in. I wasn't sure whether to just call security but Rob said that she scanned an approved identification card."

"No you did the right thing in telling me. What was her name?" Pepper asked, her voice lacking the usual firm quality it held. Afraid she already knew the answer.

"It was a Miss Peyton Parker. Rob said she was just sitting in the front lobby. Should I have someone collect her?"

"I can do it. Thank you Selena." Turning off her monitor she left her office. "Friday was Peyton supposed to be coming today?"

"Yes but not until five p.m." Pepper tapped her manicured nail on the railing of the elevator as it went down wondering what the girl was doing here so early. It would be pleasant to see her again. Even since their meeting Pepper's interest had been peeked and her thoughts kept circling back to her. The overall effects of her large eyes and innocent expression were so endearing. She hadn't seen Tony so invested in something and in someone for a long time.

Pepper knew Tony better than anyone else. She knew that his confident exterior was many times just a ruse, a tool to get through an uncomfortable situation. Holding eye contact was difficult for him and as a way to distract from that he would talk loud and quick, mesmerizing people with his intelligence and wit. While he could command a crowd like no other he was uncomfortable in them. Always he strived to live up to the expectations his father had set for him, to step out from the shadows and be accepted for who he was. She knew all this like she knew the face that looked at her in the mirror. So when she stepped into the lab she had to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It was like she was seeing a revived Tony. The lines on his forehead weren't as dark and commanding of attention. His eyes were wide and sparkling with new plans and interest, no longer held down by the bruise like circles underneath. Even the contours in his beard seemed straighter, more kept.

It was almost hilarious the way the two mirrored each other. As all three of them talked Pepper could see the way Peyton kept an peeking over to Tony, noting how he was standing. Slowly, as if testing out the new pose she would move her body to match his stance. Looking more confident when she was sure no one was watching to try out the unfamiliar posture. And Tony was by no means oblivious to it. His smile when he caught her staring at him warmed Pepper's heart and he was perceptive to the girl's needs. The lab, which was always cold, held no exception that day and Peyton had tightened her sweater around her torso. Tony had noticed and without making a huge deal went over to turn up the heat, not breaking up the conversation. At one point an awkward silence meet the trio, the youngest of them assumed it was her fault and began to turn into herself looking between the two adults. Tony had distracted her with some far-fetched story about something and they continued on like nothing had happened.

The illuminated numbers continued to decrease and her muscles tightened ready to defend themselves from something unknown. Hopefully Peyton was just here early getting some homework done but she couldn't help but worry. The large ledger appeared in her thoughts. Pepper could invite the girl to her office or an empty room if she preferred to be alone while she waited for Tony. The timing couldn't be better. It would be a way to check in on her, make sure she wasn't overwhelmed with everything going on. It was easy to hold onto secrets. To use them to cloak you away and Pepper didn't want to disrobe any Peyton had wrapped around her shoulders. Maybe Pepper could be there for her; be a confidant of some sorts.

The tower was empty that night a week or so ago. The floor silent as mist and rain descended on the city outside. She sat in the dark thinking about the day, trying not to let the worry overwhelm her. His shadow was the first to enter the room stretching thin across the floor stopping just before where her feet were resting. Next came the rest of him, demons and all. His face was obscured by the backlight and she spied him placing his hands on the counter stretching his back. The cracks resounded around the space, hanging in the air. Without looking up he greeted her, "Pepper." His voice rung dry and hoarse reminding her of many times in the past he would wake up hung-over, voice aching from the abuse. She caught his eyes and noticed a glassy quality caged in by the raw redness encircling them. His clothes rumpled even further as he walked toward her. "This actually isn't the best time, Pep. As much as I enjoy your beautiful presence in my not so humble abode."

Pepper was aware of everything that was happening and her breath went off kilter when she thought about Tony rushing off to fight those people. To fight their friends. Whenever things got crazy Pepper needed to plan and make sure everything was organized. The whole thing had been ridiculous and knew that if she had been there she would have straightened everything out in a matter of minutes. At least that's what she liked to tell herself but it was moot because she hadn't been there and she couldn't fix this. No, this was something only her Tony could do.

She understood he was exhausted and couldn't possibly understand everything that had happened but she needed to know, selfishly, so she could sleep better. She had to make sure everyone was okay. To make sure he was going to be okay. Being practical Pepper also needed to confirm about the damage to the buildings and any civilians. She knew protocol had him call ahead to make sure the area was evacuated but there could have been stragglers. It was important to assess if there needed to be a charity started or how much clean up was needed. They had worked on that together, the aftermath protocol. After seeing the damage left in the wake of these fights they made sure that the buildings had enough funds to repair themselves and make sure to try and look after the people. This whole thing left her feeling carved out. Although she knew now he could never give up on being Iron Man, that it was apart of him, it didn't make it any easier to see his back walk out the door, uncertain if he would come back. Her and Tony weren't together in the traditional sense but that was just because she felt like she wasn't good for him in that time. She was just enabling his bad decisions in the past but she still loved him with all her heart. He just had to focus on himself for a while and not her. Being Iron Man was apart of that no matter how scared she was for him.

Tony walked across the room to her, his body overlapping his shadow on the floor the closer he came. He stopped half way and glanced to the side. Pepper's gaze didn't leave his face but she knew he was looking at the various shaped bottles stacked on the counter, all inconsistent levels of fullness. Tony sighed, continued to her, and melted into the couch. She asked him again to fill her in on everything after a moment of quiet. Then in a voice null of emotion he began recounting the proceedings of the weekend not stopping to draw breath. "… then I wasn't there to stop her and she just flew across the air. I swear I could feel the breath leave my body."

"Who, Tony?" So far she knew all the players in the game but was unfamiliar with this one.

"Spidergirl. Pep, I was helpless and I just had to leave her with Happy. You know what he is like and she is just so damn young." He grabbed her hand tightly as he continued on and on. His voice was shaking now and when he told Pepper what happened to Rhodey they both wept. Their friend of many years was dear to them both and Pepper could see the guilt in Tony's eyes as he spoke of what their friend had gone through. How they were in Germany longer than expected so Rhodey could have surgeries and how Tony was there by his side the whole way. "I'm so sorry I didn't call you. I just couldn't bring myself to speak it out loud."

Tony had already figured out how to help him but Pepper needed to see him for herself. Worn out from reciting everything Pepper brought him over to his room. She tucked him in and watched his chest rise and fall, already asleep. A glass of water and a note to call her rested on the nightstand as she left the room; she turned off the light behind her. In the darkness Pepper couldn't discern the man from the shadows that followed him constantly.

"Friday, can you notify me when Tony is awake? I'm going to check on Rhodey." She stepped into the elevator and remembered something from before. "Could you also send me any files on Spidergirl, please?"

"Sent now Boss." She smiled to herself and went down to see her old friend. He looked small sleeping on the bed but when she took his hand in hers and squeezed she was reminded of his great strength. Pepper knew he would come out on top of this. He was too stubborn not to.

Rob had informed Selena that the girl was sitting there looking pale, which held no concrete information and seemed not serious enough to call up to her office. The elevators opened and she stepped out, immediately spotting the girl who was slouched forward on one of the couches. She rested on the edge of the cushions like she was afraid to sit fully on it, which was ridiculous because they were comfortable. Pepper had picked them out herself. The girl's face was turned away from her so all she could see was her hair. The curls, which when Pepper had seen her before had tighter ringlets were now frayed and pointing every direction. The girl's hands were clenched at her sides, settled on the couch. Pepper's heels clicked on the tile as she smoothed down the front of her white dress. Peyton didn't glance up as Pepper approached her so she sat down.

"Hey Peyton. Are you okay?" She waited for a moment and when no reply came continued on. "It's Pepper. Pepper Potts. Not sure if you remember me but we ran into each other on the elevator." The sounds of people walking around them filled in the silence when still she didn't speak. The girl looked over at her and smiled in a way that her lips wobbled in an attempt at turning upward before falling back down. That expression made Pepper's hand itch to reach out and smooth across her cheeks.

"Of course I remember you Miss Potts. I, uh, hope it's okay that I'm here early. I mean I didn't tell Mr. Stark that I was coming but I had extra time and I didn't want to go all the way home so I thought I would just hang out. There's extra homework I can do down here. I won't be in anyone's way but I totally understand if this is for like business personal only or something." Her words drifted off towards the end and she looked toward Pepper face on.

"Oh, sweetie." She raised her hand in reaction to the sight before her and to get a better look when Peyton flinched back. Her hand hung in the air, violent intention seeping into an otherwise innocuous gesture. Peyton faced away from her muttering an apology. Stunned Pepper sat there for a second, trying to think of how best to go about the situation. "Will you tell me what happened?" The girl continued to sit there, torso contorted away from Pepper. The girl's back was rising and falling rapidly. "Is there anyone you want me to call? Anything at all and I will do it. No questions asked." After a minute of silence she turned toward Pepper again and shook her head.

The girl's cheek was a mess. Plain and simple. It looked as though someone had painted black and purple over it. Her lip had dried blood smeared over it, which emphasized the puffy and swollen parts of her cheek. This was more than just pale. Pepper tentatively put a hand her shoulder trying not to notice the slight flinch. "Let's go get someone to check that out okay?" She guided Peyton up and together they started the trek to the Medbay. Pepper kept talking not comfortable with just the music playing. "… and Tony isn't actually in at the moment but he was supposed to be back in soon. I had a meeting with him this morning. Well, he was over an hour late so he missed the meeting but he got briefed on what he missed. Ah, here we are."

The glass doors slide open and the white doctor's jacket was visible from behind the desk. Dr. Casab was still there for the day, which Pepper was grateful for, and was rummaging around in a filling cabinet trying to find some paperwork. She glanced up and saw the two of them standing there, zeroing in on the state of Peyton's face.

"Peyton, I thought I told you I didn't want to see you again for another month, at least!" Claudia spoke with obvious sarcasm and a smile but it was lost on Peyton who stepped back into Pepper's arm around her shoulder. The girl's head turned downward to avoid eye contact as Claudia and Pepper gave each other a look.

"Would you mind looking at Peyton over and anything else that's bothering her?" Her friend went right into doctor mode and ushered her into the room leaving Pepper in the waiting room for the moment. Sitting down she dialed Tony's number. He picked up on the second tone.

"Buon pomeriggio, bellissima angelo. I am so lucky you finally descended from the heavens to join me on earth?" He laughed at his own joke, which never failed to make her smile.

"Hello Anthony." Her voice full of mirth turned serious. "I have Peyton here with me."

"What is it Pep? She must be early. Just put her on my floor and tell her not to break anything. She breaks it she buys it."

"No. It's, she's hurt Tony. I'm sure it looks worse than it is. But she's pretty shaken up." He remained silent for a second and she thought he hadn't heard her. "Tony? I can handle it here. Just come whenever you're free but I just wanted to tell …"

"No, I'm on my way right now. I'll be there in twenty minutes. Actually make that fifteen if I have my way." The line went dead before she could respond. The image of Peyton's bruised face swam around in her mind. The feeling of her flinching from Pepper made her hand tingle. What had happened?

The file and all that it held seemed inexplicably connected to this incident. Pepper was sitting in the waiting room. Her thoughts focused on what had happened to Peyton. Surely it had something to do with what was in that folder. What Pepper had read all about. It had been massive and took her a whole night to get through. The bulk weighed not just physically on her, as it had been much to comprehend. The same child that muttered apology after apology, who could barely say something without rewording her sentence was a hero. She guessed she really shouldn't be surprised, it seemed like everyone in her life turned out to be either a hero or some super villain but this one had thrown her for a loop.

Having read the file she had an uncomfortable amount of information on one, Peyton Parker. It had contained her grades and notes from teachers to the guardians of the bright girl. It had the dates of her parent's deaths and the exact day Peyton had went to live with her aunt and uncle. There were intimate details of the tragic death of her uncle. Pepper knew that the girl had been there when he died, had witnessed it. The file even had transcripts from therapy sessions afterward but that had felt like such an invasion of privacy and she skipped those. She wasn't even sure if Tony knew everything that she had found.

Her heart broke for the girl thinking about it. She had sat back in her chair, staring at the paintings on her wall. With all her heart she wanted to be angry with Tony, to go find him and yell her lungs out at him for recruiting this young person to take with him to Germany. Then she remembered the way he had cried, his shoulders shaking slightly as she held him in her arms. The girl obviously adored Tony and from the file it was evident she had been in a bit of a slump. She had quit band and never tried out for tennis even though she signed up. While her grades didn't dip the teachers commented on a lack of enthusiasm. Maybe this relationship between the two would help each in their own way. Pepper prayed that it would.

She looked up to hurried footsteps echoing down the hallways before Tony strode toward her. His face pinched with worry as he rubbed his left elbow. "Hey Pep. I came as soon as I could. Where's the kid? Is she okay?" She placed a hand on his elbow to stop him from going directly into the room. "What happened?"

"Claudia is with her now, Tony. I wasn't sure what to do and she wouldn't tell either of us what happened. But it looks like someone hit her on the face. Not to mention she's been skittish since I found her in the lobby. Just be gentle with her, okay?" His eyes wandered from the room the kid was in to her at the question. His eyes narrowed in determination.

"Of course Pepper. Thank you for getting me." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek before hurrying into the room. Pepper stood there, staring at the room for a second before moving closer to the doorway, not wanting to leave yet. She had to make sure Peyton was going to be okay. Both her physical and mental self. She watched as Tony entered the room, loudly announcing his presence while getting the rundown from the doctor. He cracked a joke with her before she left the room. Claudia gave Pepper a small smile before joining her on the wall. The two women stared at the man they had known for more years either of them would like to admit.

Peering into the room through the window blind slates Pepper could just make out the strained lines on Peyton's face and could just see the ridged set of the girl's spine as she sat on the examination bench. Tony was trying to make light of being in the hospital room, his mouth gaping as he looked around. Something he said must have triggered the girl because her eyes welled up with tears before she grabbed onto to Tony, giving him the tightest embrace. Her hands bunched in the fabric of Tony's shirt causing pleats to form on his back. Pepper could see the girls shoulders shaking as Tony ran his hands up and down her back. How this brave girl could go from taking down Ant-Man shocker her. She could imagine him whispering comforts to the girl and hoped he would know what to say.

"That girl loves him so much," Claudia said. "And somehow I think that she has wormed her way into his heart as well." They smiled, slightly bittersweet at the image of those two broken people in the other room.

"Claudia. I was wondering how did you know Peyton's name before I introduced her?" Her friend gave a response skirting around the question and in doing so peaked Pepper's curiosity. So Claudia did know who Peyton was. That didn't bode well.

"Anyway Pepper. I love that white dress. I've been so busy lately, we need to have a girl's night out okay?" Pepper nodded and Claudia left. Her back was pressed uncomfortably against the wall as she watched Tony talk to the girl.

Pepper was first introduced to the shy and under confident teenager before she had even met her in real life. Tony had gone on and on about how smart she was and Pepper was impressed when he had shown her some of the notes she had taken but she worried. At first she was worried that Tony would become bored with the girl who obviously idolized him. She had kept tabs on them and had watched as Tony changed before her eyes. Changed was a harsh word. The characteristics he was displaying he always had. He was still the same man she loved but in getting to know the kid he had grown into the man she always knew he was. In the end it didn't matter that he was Iron Man and she was Spidergirl. They shared something outside of that; it was obvious to Pepper looking at them. She turned around and left the floor, confident that Peyton would be okay. Yes, somehow these two had found each other in the whole world and Pepper was glad for it. Glad that Peyton had a mentor to guide her through all the impossible things she might face and glad that they had both found someone to care.

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Thank you all for reading and commenting! I appreciate you more than words can say!

Let me know what you think.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Hi everyone. Wishing you well!

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Tony's legs pumped as the doorways and windows blurred into two long rectangles on either side of him but his eyes were only focused on the end. On his goal. His meeting had ended so this really couldn't have come at a better time. Well, it had done for him. The call came and like any person stuck in a boring meeting he answered it, giving a hand signal for them to carry on while he stepped out for a minute. Pepper's voice had been smooth but Tony could detect a hesitation, a variance in her tone that had him pacing the floor. Then she said the kid was hurt and he was striding down the hallway, not looking back. With every step he took his imagination grew wilder. It sprouted denser imaginings that had thorns pricking into his mind the closer he got. And though it seemed forever he made it to the tower in fourteen and a half minutes, exact.

The pressure pushed down on him from above as the elevator zoomed upward. Friday gave him a progress report. "She's in with Dr. Casab now Boss. Peyton hasn't said anything about the origin of the injuries but with her healing she should be fine by the end of the day or tomorrow morning at the latest."

He barged into the waiting room, barely noting the lovely way Pepper's dress looked today or how she stayed, standing there in the now empty room watching on as he went to the kid. It briefly crossed his mind that he should thank Pepper for looking after the girl. For making sure she got help.

His arms were wrapped around Peyton's fragile body and he willed as much affection and comfort through them. Almost convincing himself he could feel it coursing from his chest, trailing through the veins in his arms and like his suit, out of his palms into the girl they were holding. The shaking in her form had paused some time ago but the clenched fists that were buried in his shirt remained where they were. Just being there in the same room caused something in his chest to unclench. While the worry and fear hadn't abated he felt calmer somehow, stronger, knowing that Peyton was in the same room as him.

The muscles in his arms were stiff and a localized soreness was starting to emanate from his lower back because of his movements that now felt mechanical. He was unfamiliar with comforting someone, especially physically, and he felt self-conscious. At first he tried alternating his hand, rubbing her back and then patting it so the repetition wouldn't be so predictable but after a few tries it didn't seem to matter either way. The curls on her head tickled his mouth and an unbidden memory rose to the surface. A soft, petite hand moved across his back to a legato rhythm. The woman's body was pressed beside his as she gave all the comfort she could. Up and down. The same warmth that bloomed then transposed itself in him again and he tried to match that same cadence he felt long ago.

A billion different scenarios ran through his mind. He had been trying to make a point of not jumping to conclusions but it was difficult not to. Had she been on patrol and taken on to much like last time? He was hard pressed to think it was her family or something at school but nothing seemed clear anymore. Not when it came to her. A warm breath blew on his neck as the tangles and tresses moved under his fingers. She lent away from him and he immediately felt a loss, felt colder. Her body, still facing toward him, moved so her face was away and he couldn't see it. His hand nudged her chin, encouraging her to look towards him.

"Come on kid. Don't hide from me now." The urge to stand up and kick something assaulted him as their eyes met. He managed to stifle the heat that had rose with ever sob that tore through her body and stroked her undamaged cheek. "You've got to, let me rephrase. Will you tell me what happened?" Her eyebrows furrowed as the orbs themselves widened, pleading with him. "You'll feel better once you tell someone kid. It hurts to bottle these things up. Trust me."

Her eyes bore into him, searching for some lie until she lent forward and hastily clamped her hand in his. The warmth seeped into his fingers in the gentle grip concealing how much strength she had. He felt a pressure around his fingers before they were empty once more. A breath rose in his chest as energy invigorated inside him. Her face held a steely resolve it hadn't before and he felt sure that they had somehow connected. Shared their strength with each other.

Her lip quivered as she spoke. "It was my fault Mr. Stark. I didn't know how to stop and I was horrible. But it was so satisfying at first. He looked shocked that I had stood up for myself but then I went too far… I should have stopped him. Why didn't I stop it? I've beat people loads stronger before but I just blanked and stood there. I was scared you would hate me, would leave again, and I. It was my fault." Her head came forward and rested on his chest.

"Okay, I'm going to ask you to repeat it. Slower. First though, you have to know that you could do nothing, nothing for me to ever hate you and I will, look at me now. I will never leave you. Period. Alright?" Her curls bounced as her smile wavered before it fell. He gently guided her head to his chest. Sometimes it was easier to speak when you didn't have to look straight in someone's face. "Alright, start from the beginning. What happened?"

A recounting of her school day left her lips. It was verbose for the often-shy girl and he was glad she wasn't holding back. She told him how Speed, Tony refused to dignify the kid by learning his name, had continued to bug her. She told him about her teacher and the words 'but he wasn't that bad' hastily came when he threatened to call the school about him. And then Peyton told Tony about what occurred in the hall.

Seeing the aftermath for himself, he could just imagine the sound of her skull hitting the lockers. How there would have been a deep thud and then a rattling that rippled to the other lockers around her as if they were a poisonous snake warning people from getting to close. The smell of animosity filled his nose as the two teenagers slowly got closer to each other, both trying to light the match to the other's detonator. The fear and anger burning in them acting as lighter fluid; ready to send them to dust and smoke. None of this the kid had described in detail but Tony saw it all in his mind. Traces of red dribbled down her cheek as Speed's fist pulled back, more evidence ingrained on his knuckles. His mouth hung open as the boy backed across the room, knocking into a locker himself. Tony strode toward him, ready to confront him. Peyton didn't understand what the boy's horror was aimed at. Naturally, in all her doubts, she assumed that she was the target of such emotion. That it was her fault. But the boy's eyes widened at his hands. At what he had done in a fit of rage.

And though Tony was loath to admit it, he could understand that kind of anger all to well. He had verbally lashed out at people for saying less about his father, trying to protect the man's image when other people questioned it. Confused why he would even bother. With a lead weight in his stomach he thought he understood what was happening in Flash's mind. What was happening that Peyton couldn't possibly imagine. Her body was still pressed against the metal as her eyes opened. They filled with disbelief and betrayal and he felt them land on him as he stood next to Flash turning his body to ice. They looked down at their hands, Tony seeing a ghostly apparition of blood on his own. All his guilt came crashing down on him. The boy broke away as he ran down the hallway, leaving Tony alone on that side.

Her voice came to an abrupt halt forcing Tony back into the small medical room. There was a strange tautness to his skin, like it was stretched to thin along his bones. He tried to banish the images that he had just been a part of. Clearing his throat he said, "Peyton. This was not your fault. None of it was. Did you say things that you regretted afterward and probably didn't mean? Yes. But that's all you did. You didn't start the fight. Hell, you didn't even try to retaliate which is what I would've done in a heartbeat. It was self defense." Her teeth were biting on her bottom lip looking painful. "Let me say that again for those in the back. You were raising your arm in self-defense. Not to retaliate, not in violence. You have every right to protect yourself. I want you to do that anytime, anyplace someone threatens you. Spidergirl or not. As for being able to stop it, yes, you have super strength and yes, you are the masked hero called Spidergirl but someone you knew and trusted to an extent raised his arms to hurt you. Anyone would freeze. There is no shame in that." Her eyes, always so expressive, welled with tears.

"Ah kid, don't cry on me again. I swear it wasn't your fault and if I ever see that Speed kid he's not going to know what way is up or down." His shoulders came up to his chin as his hands rubbed together doing his best impression of an evil mastermind. A small giggled tickled his ears and her hands reached upward to swipe under her eyes trying to clear away the wetness that had accumulated there.

"I want you to repeat it, please, before we leave and get some food." Her eyebrows furrowed. "I want you to say that it wasn't your fault and don't bother refusing because I can out stubborn you any day. I've had forty some odd years of practice more than you." She fiddled with the hem of her shirt and looked around the room. Anywhere but him.

"It wasn't my fault." She mumbled under her breath but it was a start.

"It was self defense and you have the right to protect yourself." The sigh that came from her made him chuckle and he motioned her to continue with his hand.

"It wasn't my fault. It was self defense and I had the right to protect myself." A smile swept over his face at the strength and conviction in her voice toward the end.

"There you go, Peyton. And if you want to give him a pop back just have the principal call me and I'll slide it under the rug."

"And how are you going to do that? Donate another wing to the school?"

"What a brilliant idea. I can see it now: The Peyton Parker Wing. That would really light a fire under Speed for sure." They laughed as they exited the room and into the empty waiting room. "So, one last question. How are you feeling really? No sidestepping or downplaying."

"I'm fine. The doctor wanted me to take some medicine but I didn't need to." He gave an unconvinced look to which she hurriedly replied. "It is just bruises and it will be gone, hopefully, by the time I leave tonight. If May knew I would be in a world of trouble."

"I'm sure she would automatically assume you were in a gang or something. That sounds just like you, at odds with the law."

"Actually the police aren't my biggest fans at the moment with all the increasing publicity I've been getting since Germany." She puffed her chest and he rubbed her head before she batted his hand away.

"Now for the important question. What do you want to eat? No arguing, you're sick so you get to choose."

"I'm not sick! But, uh, we could just do pizza?"

"Perfect choice and I know the perfect place that does delivery."

They sat before the TV playing an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Peyton protested that they had to watch this one, even though they already had last time, because she fell asleep and it 'didn't count.' Tony good-naturedly resisted until she stole the remote and played it. He pretended to stare at the screen; laughing at all the right times but surreptitiously kept glancing over at her. Basking in the smile she now wore as their favorite characters got up to no good and trying not to linger on the bruises; her laugh the perfect soundtrack to the show.

"Good thing I ordered three boxes. You can really pack it away!" The slice that was currently being inhaled into her vacuum of a mouth slowly lowered onto her plate, a web of cheese still connected from the apex of the pizza to her mouth. An apology was on the way when he continued on. "I meant it in a good way. Before all that you, Cap, and an eating contest would have been epic."

She raised the piece back up and before long the plate was empty again. Her fingers played with the edges of the paper plate. First running back and forth before creating a dent with her nail and folding back the parts on either side of the divots. The glances she was giving him were not subtle and eventually she gathered enough courage to speak, asking him what had happened in Germany after she left with Happy.

He exhaled figuring she would question him sooner or later. It was reasonable to tell her as not only was she in the fight and should know the outcomes but she should be aware of any consequences. He probably should have told her sooner but he hadn't been ready for that. She had already told him and he had seen while keeping tabs that the search rate for Spidergirl was way more prevalent than before. The publicity of her secret identity was at an all time high. Luckily there was nothing to connect Peyton to him, yet. But for now they were safe in that they were just two people spending time together, as banal as two people with a secret and not so secret identity were. He purposefully left out his own way of coping with everything but somehow she saw past his blank face and squeezed his hand, seeing the hurt he wasn't ready to talk about.

"Alright kiddo. It's late and well your face still looks not so good. Want to call your aunt and tell her your spending the night? We've already got a room set up for you."

"Wait there's a room for me?"

"Sure. I wanted to make sure you had a place to stay. You know a place to feel welcome. Plus, it gave Dum-E something to do. I had him pick out the colors so if you don't like it, blame him." He laughed at her confused expression. "I'm kidding kid but if you don't like anything we can change it up later."

The sound of her aunt's voice murmured low over the clatter of boxes he threw in the garbage. He opened the door to her room just down the hall from his and let her walk in first. It was simple but he thought, hoped, that she would like it. In fact, Dum-E had been vital in the makeup of the room. He and Friday had been debating back a forth about what color she would probably like the best. Not being around many teenagers he wanted to get a second opinion. Dum-E scuttled over to them, narrowly missing the edge of the table seconds before butting into Tony's leg. Tony was about to banish him to the corner again when the robot raised his claw and dumped a notebook into his lap. The pages were filled with a scrawling handwriting. Most of it was either to small or large for the lines provided and he knew exactly whom it belonged to. Closing it, a deep forest green branded the cover. "You sure Dum?" The robots claw nodded vigorously and it was decided.

The sun's setting light shined on the soft grey walls and reflected off the metal legs on the desk and chair. Her bed had what Tony dubbed a marshmallow comforter stacked with the green pillows and sheets. The color was spread around the room; he didn't want to overwhelm it with a block of green. There were accents of soft pinks, matching her nail polish at the beach, which was featured in some of the art hanging on the walls. Sure they could change anything but he wanted her to like it. Wished she would think of it as her second home. Her smile spoke it all. She came forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. If she kept doing that he was going to get used to it and get addicted to the comforting squeeze of her arms.

Clearing his throat they parted and he headed toward the door. "Okay, my room is just down the hall if you need anything. All right, kid? Don't hesitate to get me. I won't be asleep for a while anyway."

She nodded and glanced around. Her hands rested lightly at her sides as she stepped deeper into the room, walking over to look out onto the balcony at the beautiful skyline of the city. Being careful not to make noise he closed the door, heading to his own room. Contrary to what he just said weariness had entered his bones. The sockets in his eyes felt sore, weighed down. His clean pajamas felt smooth on his skin and the sheets settled over his form as he curled up, scrolling through his phone.

"Friday, let me know if Peyton needs anything in the night or morning?"

"You got it Boss. Good night."

"Night, Fri." He pulled the covers up till they covered everything besides his noise and he inhaled the fresh air releasing it with a count of ten. His breaths became louder as he focused and soon the soothing sound sent him off to sleep.

"Boss, Peyton seems to be suffering from a nightmare. Shall I try and wake her." The soft tone of Friday's voice awakened Tony. The words didn't register at first but the slight edge to her voice did. His heart was already beating quickly from being forced out of sleep and the pillows arched uncomfortably under his neck while he lay there. The meaning of her words came suddenly and Tony was stumbling from the bed, his feet dashing down the hallway to the closed door not noticing the small lights that came on lighting the path like an airplane. His hands grazed the walls, making sure his unsteady feet wouldn't send him to the ground

The next door opened without a sound, the light from the hallway streaming into it leaving a glowing triangle of yellow on the bed. He could make out a pile on the floor and assumed they were the covers. The girl's vulnerable face was in the center of the light leaving Tony with the feeling of watching something private. The veins on her neck stretched thin as her head tilted upward, small whimpers escaping her mouth as wetness reflected from her cheeks. The bed dipped down under him and he nudged her shoulder with his hand.

"Peyton?" His whisper was drowned out and he spoke louder the next time, careful to still keep his tone moderate. "Sweetheart? Wake up," he said and jostled her shoulder with more force.

Her eyes flew open lifting to the ceiling. His fingers rose and fell in time with her chest and counted eight beats before moving. He could only move his hand so much on her small shoulder and felt awkward attempting but figured it might help as it did before in the doctor's room. He could just imagine the rose stains falling across her cheeks as she realized why he was there. Her head tilted toward him revealing her now familiar brown eyes. Hints of gold and copper tones shone in the light, embarrassment not crossing her features. Instead her eyes mimicked how they had looked upon him in Germany, how they had been in the alley. It was like he held the keys to the universe, maybe something less dramatic but it struck something inside of him. His hand moved of its own accord, no longer worried about being awkward. Just focusing on comforting the kid, on being worthy of such looks. He smoothed out the strains in her eyebrows and combed back her bangs so they weren't sticking to her forehead. A soft sigh came from the girl as her eyes fluttered closed and he moved to pick up her comforter. Laying it over her shoulders a small smile came over her lips; the only remnant of her nightmare was the sweat congealing across her forehead.

Her breath came deep and even and he finally moved from his silent post. As the door closed once again the last slit of light was extinguished, leaving the now peaceful girl alone in sleep. It wasn't until his own bed sheets were warm that he realized the bruises had been gone. The last image had been her safe and sound, tucked into the marshmallow blanket and good dreams surrounding her.

* * *

Luckily the next morning happened to be a Saturday and neither of them had anything to do. When he awoke he checked with Friday to find the girl was still sleeping. He mumbled to himself after his shower about wanting to sleep in but a pang prodded his chest. The girl needed her sleep, especially if last night was a repeat performance.

After a shower and green juice he went down to the lab, ready to work. Once he was done tinkering with his suit for he decided to look into that warehouse Peyton had mentioned. While nothing had come up in his initial scans, the place wasn't absolved of any suspicion. He told Peyton to trust her gut and he meant it. So far it seemed accurate and he had a feeling this wasn't any different.

"Peyton is awake and in the shower Boss." He thanked Friday as he made his way to the kitchen figuring he would make breakfast for the two of them. The Swedish pancakes were browning on the griddle imbuing the kitchen in a scent of goodness he hadn't smelled since he was little. He heard her voice before he saw her.

"Oh wow. That smells amazing Mr. Stark," and motioned for her to sit at the island while he plated them in front of her.

"Eat up kid. We've got a busy day!" Her mouth was already full when she tried and failed to speak. "We are going to check out that warehouse. Friday didn't find anything overtly strange but there was a transfer of ownership some decades ago right in the middle of a lease there. Not completely unusual but I say we go check it out."

They ate in silence for the rest of their meal. The warm rays filtered in from the windows and reflected off the island counters leaving sparkles along the walls. Peyton insisted on doing the dishes, which was fine with Tony. He hated the way the soap stuck to his hands and dried on his skin. He stood to her left drying them with a towel.

"Um, Mr. Stark?" Her hands were resting on the doorframe hovering between the two rooms on her way out. His first instinct had been to ignore what had happened last night. From experience he knew how embarrassing nightmares could be, how something so sinister at night was nothing more than imagination in the day so he thought it would be best to ignore it. Pretend that it hadn't happened. His expression softened as he took in her shuffling feet. At her thanks his eyes widened and he mumbled an invitation to talk if she ever felt the need. Her gratitude while appreciated surprised Tony again. It was times like that he forgot how young she was for she showed far more maturity than he did at that age. Her head bobbed, neither accepting nor denying the offer and hurried from the room.

That's how Tony found himself watching the kid web downtown while he flew overhead. It was kind of graceful the way she wove through the air, using the momentum to propel her to the next point she had to shoot her webs. The day was gorgeous and he was kind of regretting having them do this today. It was the perfect time to go to the beach again or they could have taken a quick plane to the Golden Coast and got some of his favorite gelato. Hopefully this wouldn't take a long time and they could do something else.

The two landed outside the warehouse and together they went into the entrance she had originally found. They traveled through a couple entry rooms that seemed innocuous enough. There was dust settled over the various machines and tabletops and to Tony it looked like any other warehouse he had seen. He tried not to notice the kid rubbing her side when they reached the room she had been shot in.

"Why don't we split up?" It wasn't a bad idea but he was hesitant to leave her on her own. "I'll be fine Mr. Stark. That way we can search faster? Cover more ground." Her hands were behind her back as she looked at him hopefully.

"Sure. Meet back here in twenty. If not remember I have a tracker in your suit."

"No fair! Do you have one in yours?" His hands and eyebrows rose to say 'what are you going to do about it?' and they split up to each side of the building. Tony continued farther to the left, not noticing anything unusual.

"Are you getting anything from here Friday?"

"No activity in the last week."

"Go back farther. Trace anything you can."

"There is some activity from the servers about two weeks ago. Coming from the servers farther in."

He went to open the only other door in the dingy room. Stuck. It gave way under his metal shoulder and he walked into the dark room. His hand brushed along the walls until he flicked the light. Something was off. Computers lined the walls from various decades in neat lines. Walking around to look at the different models he noticed there wasn't any dust. He clicked one of the keyboards and it lit up, causing a chain reaction in all of the monitors down the row lighting the room even brighter. "Friday?"

"I'm going to go to scan and download any activity I find." He hoped Peyton was doing okay. It never crossed his mind that this wouldn't be the best place to bring her. Friday was silent as he went through all the documents on his screen. Like he thought most were ordinary, boring paperwork but something caught his eye. The same person, an Arnold Brown, had been signing off on the payments for the past fifty years, give or take. While that could be possible it seemed unlikely. The chair dug into his spin as he sat flipping through the glowing files in front of him. The name went back to papers of the lease change. "Huh," he said sitting back. "Friday, what do you have on Arnold Brown?"

Two documents appeared. A simple birth and death certificate, the latter dating to the year 1965. The exact day the new lease had started. A feeling of realization hit him. He knew that name. Had heard seen it in the files he had hacked from the Helicarrier. Cold sweat dipped down his spine as he the chair scratched the floor underneath him. "Friday, save all this to the main frame and send copies to us at the tower. Show me how to get to the kid; I don't want to be looking all over the place. We need to get out of here for now."

The rooms passed with a blur as he jogged through them. The once innocent cabinets and chairs transformed in the corner of his eye becoming monstrous tentacles reaching out to grab him. Friday informed him that she was outside, not in their meeting place. The doors burst open expecting the worst. Expecting to see the kid wounded again but only finding her sitting knees up, back against the wall staring up toward the sky. Her mask was off and he spotted it off to the side. It was dark and he must have been in the building for way longer than he thought.

"Jeez kid you're going to give me even more heart problems then I already have. I thought we were supposed to meet inside." Her skin looked paler than normal, her eyes wouldn't quite rise to his.

"Sorry Mr. Stark. I just didn't want to stay in that room longer than necessary so I thought out here would be okay." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. It wasn't her fault, he reminded himself. He had to get a grip; it was normal to worry that's all. That's what people did. Worry about other people.

"Understandable. You're right. We have to do some more research but it's safe to say that something more is going on here. Let's go back and we can fill each other in on what we found."

* * *

Thanks again to everyone who has read or left a comment! It means the world to me!

Let me know what you think so far!


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Hi Everyone! I wasn't going to post this till tomorrow since it is so late here but I couldn't wait. Are any of you night owls as well? Hope your week is going well and fast!

* * *

"You alright?" Her head twisted back around as she met Ned's eyes. His brow was winkled when he took in her rumpled up clothes and pale complexion. Peyton hadn't been paying attention to what he had been saying and quickly laughed off his question.

"Yeah. Thanks Ned." Her hand grabbed at the small hairs at the back of her neck, tugging slightly before pushing them into her pockets. He looked like he wanted to say something else but he just smiled at her and bumped her shoulder before looking down at his feet.

"You know if there's ever anything you need to talk about, even if it's embarrassing. I'm here." Their eyes connected and her cheeks flamed.

"Yes, uh, yeah. Thanks Ned. You're such a good friend." This time it was his turn to blush. She didn't deserve him. Every day at school his smile would greet her appearance and she felt like when they first met. It felt good to have a friend, to be normal and she would do anything to keep him around. To keep some semblance of normalcy in her otherwise crazy life.

Ned stopped and grabbed her shoulders making the people behind them grumble and move toward the edges of the hall. "Peyton, I know something is wrong and I respect that you don't want to talk about it but you are a good friend. A kind and caring person. You know, um, I don't let just anyone play with my limited addition Legos."

Hesitantly she smiled at him, putting her arms around her friend. The students continued walking around them, not paying to the two people embracing in the middle of the hallway. Ned pulled away first a red stain on his cheek. Patting her on the back they continued walking to class, ignoring Peyton's show of affection. He began complaining about the chores his mom wanted him to finish before the weekend. Peyton commiserated along with him.

The thought of going back to school had made Peyton's stomach feel like she was a batch of laundry in the middle of the dry cycle. The knowledge of seeing Flash again made it worse. After her talk with Mr. Stark everything had seemed so clear but now that she was at school her brain was decidedly more confused - cloudier. She knew that it wasn't her fault but it was hard to remember that and try to avoid him at the same time. She scanned the hall again as Ned continued to chat. Her senses had been extremely sensitive this morning and she convinced herself that it was her nerves getting the best of her. It felt like there was a target on her back. That someone was watching her, and she was just waiting for the shoe to drop. Peyton had half a mind to just talk to Flash. To get it over with but her stubbornness had won out so far.

There was nothing to be afraid of, she knew logically. It was Flash who would be in trouble if what happened got out but just as a precaution she had taken to walking with Ned in between all of their classes. Even the ones they didn't have together.

At first his expression betrayed his confusion, she wasn't one to hover unnecessarily, but she rarely asked for things without a reason so he acquiesced. He had been a lifesaver so far, asking questions but not pushing when he could tell Peyton didn't want to answer. But he couldn't stay with her forever and was called to stay back by Mr. Harrington. She was left to wander to social studies alone. Flash like a fly to a corpse found her and cornered her as soon as he saw she was alone outside the classroom.

"Parker. I need to talk to you."

"Not now Flash."

"Come on. It will be fast." With an expulsion of breath she followed him into a more vacated part of the hallway a couple doors down from their classroom. Peyton made sure she kept her distance from the boy as he turned to face her, his face tight. He looked nervous, she observed. His head kept turning, trying to survey the hallway and his hands were straining the bottom of his pockets.

"What do you want Flash?"

"Look, you can't tell anyone what happened last week, alright? I'll be in huge trouble. You can't say anything." Why would she expect anything less? Of course all he cared about was making sure he didn't get in trouble. What was she expecting, an apology? She held her breath trying to calm down.

"Flash. You owe me an apology. You're just saying it so you won't get in trouble." His face remained blank, not registering her statement.

"Come on Parker. Just don't say anything. No big deal."

"Yes, Flash. It is a big deal. You hurt me. I had bruises from where you hit me. So forgive me for not bending over backward to do something for you." She shoved her shaking hands into her jean pockets and forced herself to continue looking into his eyes. His pale face frowned and he broke eye contact first, kicking an imaginary bug on the ground.

"I'll get in so much trouble."

"You should have thought about that before."

The bell rang before he could reply and they were forced into class. Peyton leading the way while Flash shuffled behind her. The tension was palpable but Peyton tried to focus on the lesson. As soon as the next bell rang she all but ran from the room.

The rest of the week she continued to spend avoiding Flash. As a consequence she was more aware of him than normal. It took a surprising amount of effort to try and avoid someone who inhabited the same building as she did. She never looked at him but could feel his eyes following her. In the classroom, hallways, and even the lunchroom his gaze grated on her nerves. It made her skin itch. Every time she saw him coming down the hall if Ned wasn't with her she would duck into the bathroom or around the corner, listening until his footsteps disappeared. But he made no move to approach her again. In social studies all his friends were there so he wouldn't dare say anything.

She could feel the bags weighing down her eyes and she had to stop a yawn from escaping. This week had been exhausting. Her and May had got in a fight last night. The patrol hadn't went well that day and she didn't catch the person who had been going around and stealing radios out of cars. She had went home in a nasty mood and then clashed with May who had been in an equally bad mindset because, from what Peyton could gather, they were increasing her hours on the weekends again. She had run into her room, the walls reverberating from the slam, and stayed in there sulking all night. Sleep evaded her, as it had the whole week, and she was left to overthink.

While normally she would never begrudge her enhanced senses, this week they had been getting in the way of her normal functioning. Something completely normal like walking to class became a mine zone. One wrong foot out of the place and she would feel like she had stepped on the battlefield. The invasion was even leaking into her apartment. It was like when she first was adjusting to her powers, a surge of feelings that wasn't normalized yet. At first she thought she should talk to Mr. Stark but she hadn't seen him this week and didn't want to text him something that was probably all in her mind. Something that might go away once she was used to it.

It wasn't until Wednesday that Flash finally caught up with her again. She had been pacing outside of the lunchroom waiting for Ned to come meet her before they could navigate the trickling crowds when somehow Flash was standing right next to her, staring down at her. Peyton turned to go into the lunchroom. She could deal with sitting alone till Ned got there but Flash softly spoke her name sounding so un-Flash like.

He stood there oddly stiff, the rings under his eyes matched her own and for a moment she felt pity for the boy. This time he did not force them somewhere quiet but they remained in the open just to the sides of the cafeteria doors. Her eyes hovered over his forehead at a hair sticking straight up. She waited for him to speak first.

"I'm sorry Peyton." She continued to gaze evenly at him. "I'm so sorry for what I did. There is no excuse. I know that but I want to apologize all the same. And I'm sorry for the way I talked to you on Monday. It wasn't okay to ask that of you and you have every right to tell someone. In fact, say the word and I will go and turn myself in." She could feel her jaw gaping open. It was the most sincere thing that Flash had ever said to her and it hurt. She had thought she would be enraged if he ever talked to her again but all she felt was an empty sensation. Peyton hadn't forgiven him, not yet, but she couldn't lie to herself. His sincerity touched a part of her. Oh, she could still feel the sting of his fist across her face and the confusion she felt afterward but this felt different somehow. He felt lighter to her, like a different person than she had been with in the hall. She brought her hand forward in between them. He stared at it for a second before raising his own to clasp them together, shaking once before awkwardly letting go.

"Thank you for apologizing. I'm not ready to forgive you yet, but maybe some day."

He nodded, looking determined. "I understand," he said and walked off leaving Peyton to stare after him. What had come over him and made him change his mind so quickly?

The rest of the week passed without incident. Her and May semi made up, at least they weren't yelling at each other now, and she was excited for the weekend. It was Friday and she had plans to go to the tower to work on something with Mr. Stark. Their findings at the warehouse had been substantial but he needed time to contact some old source of his to confirm their suspicions. It was frustrating because he didn't want them investigating it anymore. He called in other people that were "more equipped" to deal with this sort of thing. Mr. Stark had seemed weary of what he had found out in the warehouse. It had to do with some old government organization. Peyton had tried looking them up but there was nothing on the internet just something about Greek mythology. From the way he talked about them it seemed like they were bad news. That's why Peyton wanted to be the ones to continue to work on the case, for it did seem like a mystery. Mr. Stark had put his foot down and firmly told her that someone else would be from now on.

Once again, the dark door of the social studies classroom loomed before her. Trying not to overthink she walked in quickly to find her seat. Flash glanced up from his phone before turning back to the front. It had been like this since he apologized to her but besides Decathlon and social studies she hadn't really seen Flash at all. He gave her a nod here and there but other than that he left her alone. It was kind of nice, a relief not having to worry about him talking to her anymore.

Mr. Ridermark commenced the lecture and she doodled in the margins of her notebook. The design began with the repetition of her web formula but as she continued writing the text became denser and it began interlocking with each other, morphing into one giant spider-web sprawling down the side of the margin.

"Well, Miss Parker. Do you have an answer?" The authoritative voice was loud and she looked up to find Mr. Ridermark standing in front of her, hands on his hips. A blush tore across her face as she scrambled to casually hide her drawing.

"I think. Uh, I'm sorry. I don't know."

"Miss Parker doesn't know. Maybe if you were paying attention you would know in fact that it was in 1227 that Genghis Khan died." His lectured went on and her leg continued to bounce up and down. A girl, Mackenzie, who sat next to Flash rolled her eyes at Peyton and whispered to another boy who's name Peyton forgot. "I don't even know why they let her into this school. She's such an embarrassment."

It was said low enough that a normal person wouldn't have been able to hear it but Peyton did. Her face blushed red at the mumbled words and she gripped her pen tight. Flash heard as well, being next to the girl, and gave her a sympathetic glance that she did not see.

"Alright class. Here are the group assignments for the project." Her head whipped up. A project? Since when were they doing that?

Dread filled her as she sat unmoving. It was like a lead weight had pinned her arms and legs down. Maybe she should just leave the class now, pretend she was sick and hope for a different assignment but she was glued in place. She hoped that somehow there were an odd number of people in the class. That maybe she would have to work alone. It would be way less embarrassing than having to work with, "and Flash you are paired with Peyton and Mackenzie."

The lead engulfed her heart and her pen broke under the pressure she was exerting. Flash was looking up at her under his eyelashes, staring at the ink coating her fingers. Mackenzie smiled at Flash and threw Peyton a dirty look. Peyton, on the other hand, ignored the ink as she tore through her notes trying to find the syllabus. Trying to find the due date of the project. The ink dripped off her fingers covering the words, which had read some date in December. The rest of the semester spent on a group project with two people she really didn't care for. Great.

As they separated into groups Peyton found herself across from her partners. The ink from her pen now smeared on the inside of her hoodie, leaving only a faint stain on her fingers. She sat quietly as they talked about their plans for the weekend. Mackenzie was short with long dark hair. She was fastidious in her work and even more so in her social life. Although she had never been outright mean to Peyton's face, Peyton would not classify them as acquaintances much less friends. She cleared her throat trying to get their attention so they could start working. Might as well get this done as fast as possible. Peyton really did not like group projects.

Mackenzie's head glanced toward her. "What?"

Peyton winced. "So, uh, what did you both want to do on the project? I was thinking that…"

"We've already decided to do it on the role of women in the Mongolian Empire." That actually didn't sound so bad. Peyton nodded and went back to staring at her book, pulling her hoodie around her tighter. A hand thumped on her book blocking the words.

"I said, we are going to meet after tomorrow at the library to plan this out more. Is that okay with you? Or are you busy?"

Peyton bobbed her head. She could do it before going to the tower. That way it was done with before seeing Mr. Stark. Flash was unusually quiet and the bell rang for the final time that week. Peyton was done with school and ready to patrol.

* * *

The shadows stretched down the stairs when she got home and Peyton was surprised to see that the lights were on in their little apartment.

"May, I'm home!" She called toeing off her shoes in the front hallway excited to see her aunt now that they weren't fighting. The smell of tomato sauce wafted to her nose. She walked into the kitchen to see May with an apron on in front of the stove - tomato sauce and noodles boiling away. Her aunt greeted her with a smile and held her arms open.

"Hi, sweet P!" She gave Peyton a tight hug. "You will never guess who's coming for dinner." Peyton untangled herself and looked around finding nobody else in the apartment. The doorbell rang and Peyton swiped a roll before telling May she would get it.

"Coming" She yelled, her mouth full.

The door swung open and there stood Nat. Her red hair was styled straight today. She wore this black leather jacket and black jeans looking like the epitome of cool. Peyton looked down and saw a bowl filled with salad. She smiled warmly at Peyton as she entered their apartment.

"Hi there Peyton. Your aunt invited me for her famous spaghetti."

Peyton tried to smile back and led her into the kitchen. She stood against the door observing the two women as they hugged and began talking about the past week.

Mr. Stark had told her all about Germany once she got the courage to ask and Black Widow's actions perplexed her. The woman had let them go, had helped them. Sure, they were her friends and she had been trying to do the right thing but Peyton wasn't sure if that absolved her. The whole thing made her head ache. It was curious, though. Peyton had never expected to see Nat again. She had thought that her aunt was being nice but from their interactions they seemed like they were friends. They certainly had a lot to talk about.

Peyton sat inhaling her spaghetti as May told funny stories about her work. She stayed quiet for the most part and just enjoyed listening to May talk. Nat was also quiet. Peyton could tell that the woman was uncomfortable with questions. Nothing in her face betrayed her but she would answer personal questions with a vague answer and steer the question away from herself. It was elegant the way the woman could turn the conversation around without anyone being the wiser but it made Peyton feel for the woman. It must be lonely not being able to confide your life with someone, not having many friends. Peyton felt a connection to her and could see herself in the same shoes as Nat in the future. Always trying to protect people, not showing them who you truly were.

It was nice spending time with them. Cool talking with another woman besides her aunt. May was smiling and laughing freely at a joke Peyton had made. Nat smiled behind her glass. The whole meal she felt like she was in another reality. One she didn't have to hide away. Maybe she should ask Mr. Stark what she should do. Maybe things could be like this all the time if she could better protect May.

"…busy with the internship and me with work. So we don't really get out much."

Nat glanced toward Peyton, a sincere smile on her face. "Congrats on the internship. Who is it with?"

"Ohh, it's not that cool. I just get coffee and such." She did not want to tell Nat about the internship. Did not want anything to connect her any closer to her secret identity and was annoyed that May had said anything to begin with.

"Oh, don't be humble Peyton." May said, her cheeks rosy from the wine. She looked proudly over at Peyton. "She has an internship at Stark Industries. Helping the man himself. It came as such a surprise too. She didn't even tell me she was applying and then one day came home with the good news." The blood drained from Peyton's face. Nat glanced at Peyton with a curious expression, the woman's fingers wrapped around her glass. Peyton tried to even her facial muscles but nobody could lie to Black Widow.

"I didn't know that they took interns. That must be really special working there. I heard the man is kind of a self-entitled jerk though."

Before thinking Peyton leapt to the man's defense. "No! Mr. Stark is, he just. Well, he's really down to earth and, uh, a great boss and he has been really kind to me. It's really not that big of a deal. Like I said, I'm just getting coffee"

Nat continued to look at Peyton and she thought that the woman would pry, would try and find out more. Instead she merely smiled and inclined her head before asking about school. That could have been so much worse, she thought as she glared a spot into the tablecloth, missing the small glance that Nat threw her way.

"Oh, I work in retrieval as a contractor." May was completely fascinated by Nat's talk of her work.

"Really? What does that entail. Sounds interesting." She leaned toward the other woman who looked mildly uncomfortable with the line of questioning. Peyton narrowed her eyes at the red haired woman.

"Well, someone or some company hires me to retrieve an asset or information for them and I find it." All she had to do was lie to May but she chose to tell the truth. Boiled down, simplified, but true.

"So you're like a bounty hunter? That sounds dangerous, Nat." Again, Peyton wondered why Nat wouldn't just lie. Say she was in accounting or something inconspicuous.

"Sometimes it can be, but I get by." She said with a wink in Peyton's direction.

The evening passed in a buzz of delicious noodles, laughter, and good stories. The conversation flowed as smoothly as the music playing in the background. Nat eventually gave in to May's begging and told them about one of her favorite places in the world, though she never ended up saying why she went there. Peyton was always aware that she was, like Nat, balancing on the tip on a pin trying not to lean to far to one side or else it would fall to the ground; all the papers it was holding falling down with it.

She excused herself to go finish her homework letting the two women continue to talk. Peyton was dozing on her book when she heard the door open and May's perfume hit her nose. Footsteps padded to her window and the fan drowned the whizzing of her shades being pulled down out. The book left line indents in her arms once it was moved to the nightstand and the covers floated over her shoulders. Peyton still half asleep lay there letting May take care of her. Her aunt's warm hands smoothed over her cheek before she laid a kiss upon it. Her eyes closed; a smile on her face.

* * *

The blaring alarm jolted her awake. She groped for the clock smashing the snooze button under her hand and winced at the sound of metal crunching. It was quiet for a moment and her breathing had just evened out only to be interrupted by another alarm.

"Shut up." She mumbled into her pillow. The last thing she wanted to do was get up to work on the stupid project. With one last groan she got up and showered quickly before heading to the kitchen to see if there was something to eat. Peyton grabbed an apple and put a piece of bread in the toaster while she cleaned the glasses and plates form last night that had been left in the sink. The toast popped up and she glanced down the hall. May's door was still dark underneath so she wrote her aunt a note and left the apartment.

Skipping down the stairs she headed toward the subway entrance. Peyton glanced behind her trying to ignore the pulsing sensation in the back on her head. She walked to the back of the train so she could have a view of the whole cart. Keeping her head down she took a seat and after a moment glanced up through her eyelashes, careful to make it look like she hadn't moved. Nobody was looking at her. The people aboard the car all seemed to be in their own little world. She was just being paranoid. As she exhaled a breath, Peyton willed her shoulders to fall to their natural position. A tender feeling left there from her tense posture all week. It had been a long week and again she stopped herself from texting Mr. Stark. It was just something upsetting her balance once she got used to it, like when she first got her powers, it would be nothing to worry about. She had to repeat that to herself once more before she started to believe it. Peyton popped in her headphones hoping to drown out the sensations and swayed with the moving car; her knee bouncing up and down.

Her stop arrived and as she got off glanced back. No one else got off at the stop. Breathing a small sigh she ascended the stairs. The sunlight streamed down the steps illuminating all the dried up gum and graffiti on the walls. She loved New York.

The wind blew across the road making Peyton wrap her hoodie around her body tighter. Although it was sunny the days were getting colder as they were now firmly planted in autumn. She would have to remember to grab her jacket out of the front hall closet. The library loomed a top a set of steps around the corner. It was a tall, stately building looking like an old prestigious college and Peyton adored it. Although reading wasn't her favorite- she was working on it- Peyton loved the atmosphere in the library. Loved seeing all the different people working on their own projects together in one haven.

Peyton started making her way toward it weaving through the crowds of people when someone veered toward her. Trying to get out of their way she moved quickly over to the far left and into the gap between the street signs and road. The man's hood was pulled up and he continued on his way never looking up even as she apologized. Her phone had clattered to the ground and she hastily bent down to get it, wiping off the dirt from the still smooth screen. May would have been so mad if it had cracked. The traffic rushed by her but she paid no mind to the busy noises.

She stood there waiting for an opening before heading to the main walkway again. Before she could move someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind. Turning around a man just taller than her height held a map in his hands. His sparsely haired scalp shined with the sun and the map had pristine creases from the folds.

"Excuse me Miss. You seem to be a native New Yorker. Is there anyway you could point me to Metropolitan Museum of Art? I think I may be lost." She smiled at him and looked down at the map.

"Sure thing. It's right here."

"Thanks a million." The man smiled at her and held out his hand. She didn't want to take it, but thought it would be impolite not to so she shook it. He didn't let go. Peyton laughed awkwardly and tried to remove her hand, tugging gently. His grip tightened and Peyton felt another presence come up behind her.

"Okay, my dad is waiting for me just up the block. He must be worried now. Hope you find your way." The man stopped smiling at her words and stared at her. His piercing blue eyes holding no humor as his hands squeezed hers. The other figure, now beside her, clasped his arm around her shoulders. Her breathing came in short puffs and her head darted back and forth trying to catch someone's attention on the sidewalk.

"Oh, don't worry about me, Miss Parker." The hand clasped around her shoulder moved suddenly and before she had a chance to call out she felt a prick in her neck. Her blood ran cold and she strained her hand again. No longer worried about being polite she struggled to get away.

Peyton could feel her jaw going slack as her head began to tilt and lean sideways into the shoulder of the second man. The words forming in her mouth evaporated into a sigh. Finally the hand let go of her own, imprinting her skin with an angry outline. She slumped even further into the man next to her, breathing in his pungent cologne.

"That's it Miss Parker. We'll find our way together. We have somewhere we need to be. If that's all right with you."

Her eyes widened as a car door opened that she hadn't noticed earlier. What was wrong with her? Screw being polite she should have followed her instincts. Peyton's body wouldn't obey any of her pleas as the man hoisted her into the van. Her eyes were frantic as the door shut leaving her alone in the back seat. She heard voices outside and hope flared within her. Maybe someone had seen her being loaded in! Try as she might no sound would escape her lips. The attempts leaving her breathless. When the other door opened and the map man got in she wished that she was still alone. The headrest dug into the base of her skull while her ankles, which were pushed in after her body rested at an unnatural angle.

He chuckled at her defeated expression as he entered. "Oh don't worry Miss Parker. Nothing can stop us from arriving at our destination."

The car started moving and Peyton attempted to will her body into motion. A ball of sweat rolled down her spine. Her finger twitched toward her phone and she hoped the man didn't see.

"Oh no. What have we here." His body shadowed across hers. His breath hot against her cheek as he grabbed her phone from her pocket. "I'm surprised that you are even still able to move that much. We gave you a much larger dose than necessary in case it wasn't enough. This just proves how special you are." He was still so close to her and Peyton tried to flinch back, to distance herself but she was frustratingly still.

"There, there, Miss Parker." His hand rose toward her and hovered there for a second, his eyes not leaving her face. She thought he would reach forward, would touch her for a moment but all he did was move a patch her bangs out of the way to reveal her whole eyes for him. Though her movement was impaired it didn't stop the formation of tears in the corners of her eyes and she could do nothing but let it roll down her face. He clicked his teeth at the sight. She had to be strong. May would find her note and know something was wrong when she didn't come back. And Mr. Stark could find her; would have too.

"No need to cry, dear. As long as everything goes to plan there is no reason to fret." She wanted to scoff, to scream but still the van was silent. The car rumbled creating a white noise that had Peyton relaxing farther into the seat.

Her head rolled toward the window and the wandering hand was back. This time he did touch her. She could feel the tips of his fingers sweeping across her cheek, forcing her to look at him. It was a gross imitation of what May had done the night before and it infected her, leaving a burning where each of the finger pads lingered. She could feel her cheeks flame as the car made a turn and her head pressed farther into the fingers.

If the windows on the van had not been tinted to a stranger this small action would have seemed like a normal show of physical affection. They would have smiled before going about their day. To the two people in the van, however, it was very different. Peyton managed to whimper before the hand withdrew.

"That's right Miss Parker. Time to sleep." The tears escaped her closed eyes as she prayed to anyone listening for help. Her ragged breathing got softer and with every turn of the vehicle the world got darker and darker until she wasn't aware of anything.

* * *

Thanks to everyone who reads and who comments. It seriously makes my day!

Let me know what you think.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Hi all! Here is chapter nineteen! Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, followed, and/or favorited!

Chapter warnings: There is some violence in the following section. None of it graphic but if you have any concerns you can contact me and I can edit it out for you or summarize it.

* * *

The world was still dark when she came into consciousness. Her head rose up, eyes wide but unseeing as she took stock of herself. The color grey assaulted her every way she looked muting her palate to the one tone. The muscles in her neck strained as she took in the concrete room. A cold metal soaked into her jeans and her arm hairs rose with goose bumps. She spotted her hoodie on the floor to the right of her and tried to scoot her legs forward but they didn't budge. Peyton's arms were similarly frozen in place behind her. Her head bent at an awkward angle trying to get a look. They were some kind of handcuffs. Concentrating on each spot her skin touched the metal restraints, Peyton pushed as hard as she could. Her face turned red in the process. It didn't work besides triggering the sore muscles. There must be some type of enhanced metal because in a normal situation she would have been able to break free already. She could feel some drool running down her cheek from sleeping and brought her head down to her shoulder to wipe it off; most of it.

The room was empty save for the chair she was occupying and she noticed it was bolted to the ground. A sound escaped her as she flexed her fingers finding them stiff and achy. She sat there, arms burning, for what seemed like forever. The only change in the room was the sound of her breaths and the flickering of the light.

Her head snapped up as the door slam echoed through the room. The chair's back dug into the ridges of her spine as the man came into the room in front of two more people. The second man she recognized as the one who must have stabbed her with the needle. The woman was unknown to her and they remained close to the door. The map man stepped forward, stepped closer to Peyton, and her senses went haywire catalyzing faster breaths.

"Good to see you looking so awake, Miss Parker. We were worried for a while that the sedatives were to strong." He smiled pleasantly, reminding Peyton of a greasy car salesman. His palms opened toward the ceiling as his shoulders shrugged. The crease in her lips went tighter at his greeting and he acted as if he hadn't seen. In fact the smile seemed to grow larger, more feral. She could feel her teeth chattering behind her locked lips and hoped they weren't visible to the other people in the room.

"I am going to be honest with you. You, my dear, are here solely as bait. Well, and any information you can tell us." His shoes squeaked on the floor as he strode to the other side of the room leaning against what looked like a large mirror. His button down shirt was neat besides the rolled up sleeves, which emphasized the squat wrists.

"First, I want you to know what an honor it is to meet you. I was surprised to learn your identity at first but then it clicked. Who else could don such bold colors, could do the things that you do." Her already empty stomach clenched at his meaning. "Oh, yes. We know all about your little after school activities, Miss Parker. Why do you think we knew when to escort you here? We couldn't have any trackers finding their way with us. Could we?"

The purposeful strides he took made quick work of the distance between them and she couldn't help but press herself farther into the seat.

"It's a shame you have such a close relationship with Anthony Stark. We don't want him intruding in on this operation." His head shook briefly before facing their silent companions. "All right now all we have to do is wait. You two can leave now." Peyton couldn't take her eyes off of the man in front of her. They left without a word, the man hesitating before shutting the door.

So, unlike she presumed, this wasn't about Mr. Stark. He was known to have enemies and assumed that this was about him. They had been trying to keep their associations with each other out of the press but there had been some articles about Spidergirl had been seen at Stark Towers. Mr. Stark tried not to talk about it but one day when they were tinkering with the tracker, she complained: half joking and secretly serious. Instead of a smirk or sarcasm back at her joke he was firm and explained that it was important. That he had to keep her safe. There would be no mistakes this time. She had blushed under his scrutiny and was reminded that he was keeping his promise; keeping her safe.

It worried her that they knew to take her out of her suit. She didn't have any trackers on her person without it. If anyone could find her it would be Mr. Stark but apprehension clung to her. If this wasn't about him, who was this about?

"Now then. Miss Parker. Can I call you Peyton? I like the sound of that so much better. All we have to do is be honest with each other and this will all go satisfactorily." The man moved with confidence, his strides long and steady as he exited the room; her chest sagged along with her head. How was she supposed to get out of this? She knew it would take more than three wishes for her to escape but first she needed a plan. She tried to break free from the cuffs but they were frustratingly solid.

The door swung open and her face evened out. The chair in his hand dragged along the ground sending her hair at attention from the screeching. With a clang he deposited it in front of her before sitting down. Their knees were almost touching.

"Alright, now that we are all comfortable what I want from you is simple. The world runs off of information and that's all I need. Now, we have all the time in the world so don't feel pressured. Tell me what you know about the woman?" She stared at him trying to figure out what he was talking about.

One minute he was sitting there. His hands crossed in his lap when his fingers moved slightly but the jovial smile remained. She could feel the inside of the cuffs moving around her skin. Like a pen across a paper what felt like nodules moved. And then they pierced through her skin. Fire ignited from her wrists and ankles. Her neck bent to see but they looked no different. All the while he smiled at her.

"What?" Her soft words contrasted with the burning that climbed up her arms. The heat died down, leaving an itching directly underneath the metal.

"Yes, not entirely pleasant is it? The sensors tap into your nerves and stimulate them. It's not something I want to use but, well, if you don't cooperate we will be forced to use measures that are equally as unpleasant. At least it won't have any outer damages." She had to stop from grimacing. "What has your association been about? What information has she leaked to you?" He was leaning forward and an intensity flaming in his eyes that matched the burning in her extremities.

"I don't know." She said, her voice weak. "I don't…" The fire was back again, more intense than before. This time when he started talking the sensation didn't recede. If anything it got even stronger.

"Let's start from the beginning." He pulled out his phone. Her legs and arms twitched in intervals. The light shined in her eyes and it took a moment for them to adjust to the screen. On the phone there was a photo of the back of a woman's head. Her straight hair gleamed against the lights, which formed a halo haze around her hair. Her head moved and Peyton realized there was someone standing in front of the woman blocked from view. She could see curls frizzing out in the light. It was her. The dinner with May came to her mind and she knew whom he was asking about. She felt stupid that she hadn't realized it before. This was all about Black Widow. About Nat.

His finger swiped across the screen and pictures rushed by. Some of the scenes were familiar to Peyton- some weren't. One was of May on their landing talking on the phone and unaware to her Nat was lingering on the stairs, shrouded by the shadows. There were pictures of the three of them eating dinner, laughing together, and even one of Nat lying on their couch, peaceful in sleep. Her breathing quickened as she took in every photo, every day that they followed her. Her features moved involuntarily as her eyes widened.

The map man saw the change and leaned even closer to her, shoving the picture of the sleeping woman right in her face. There was light streaming in from the windows casting a beautiful ambiance on her face, capturing it permanently.

"So you do know who I'm talking about." His teeth were white, almost unnatural in their hue. The incisors were crooked in his mouth and his hand came to rest on her knee.

She couldn't say anything. Wouldn't betray Nat like that. They hadn't known each other for long but May was fond of her; was friends with her. Peyton thought that they complemented each other well. May was more relaxed around Nat and she influenced Nat to come out of her shell. Their friendship certainly brought a smile to May's face. Hell, she was fond of Nat herself. There was a kinship between her and the woman. They both had secret identities, which were imperative to conceal. Plus, it wasn't like she knew any information anyway. She knew the woman in a strictly social way and had only seen through the half-truths because she knew her other identity.

"All you have to do is tell me what this woman informed you of. As you can see we are aware she has frequented your house." This was said with a note of condescension. "Like I said. Extremely easy, my dear." A tingling had spread in her hands but the heat was stopped for now. She tried to move her wrists but flinched at the resistance the spokes imbedded in her provided.

"Listen, sir. I really don't know. I can't tell you anything of use." She steeled herself, expecting and dreading the heat to come back full force and was taken by surprise when he moved. Before she knew it his arms were out of his lap, winding back, and then bolting forward. The muscles in her neck screamed in protest as her head snapped to the side before falling forward. She could see a dribble of blood falling into her lap. Strong fingers curled around her chin lifting her head. His eyes burned into her own.

"I think I've been quite cordial so far. Wouldn't you agree? But that will soon stop if you don't answer my questions." His fingers squeezed and tears sprouted from her eyes. "Come on, my dear."

Her teeth ground together, his fingers seeping into her skin leaving a different kind of burning than the restraints. His fist came back again, red and angry from the impact before, and pain overcame her returning her back to the dark.

* * *

May breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into the on-call room. Her feet ached as she sat down, making sure to avoid a suspicious stain, on one of the worn couches. The sun had woken her too late in the morning and she had barely been able to drag herself out of bed. Leaving it unmade she headed to the kitchen to make herself some peanut butter toast and get a glass of water.

As she stood waiting for the toaster May appreciated the silence around her. The sun settled on the picture frames of her family in the living room, breathing life into their smiles. The dishwasher was running and she silently thanked her niece for doing it before she left. After devouring her toast she put on her scrubs and ran to work; somehow late. This was the first time she had a break all day and her feet had earned the much-needed freedom from their confines. Relaxing into her couch she tried to call Peyton.

"Hey Sweet P, just calling to see how your study session went." She glanced down at her watch. "Can't wait to see you after your internship tonight. I think I'll be off work at about nine. Okay, love you. Bye-bye."

Wiping the screen on her pants she looked through her contact list. It was kind of depressing how short it was. Most were co-workers and while she loved them to death, they weren't the type of people she wanted to hang out with. In fact, until recently she didn't have anyone she could do that with. Nat strode into her life like a knight in shining armor. Not only did she look out for May that day on the subway but she also had single handedly invigorated her social life. Their meeting and subsequent meetings after were like something out of a movie.

She felt cozy at the dinner table the other night. It had been so long since she had just relaxed. The spaghetti was delicious, if she said so herself, and the wine had been ever coming. It all seemed so normal. After Nat showed up covered with bruises May worried about her and was concerned that she wouldn't give a full answer as to what happened. At first, she wrote it off as them not knowing each other that well, even though Nat had been the one to come to her for help, But the more May thought about it the more obvious it seemed. Nat never gave full answers to any personal questions. She would probably have never noticed it if she wasn't already hyper-aware because of Peyton.

There would be little things. Like when they had lunch during one of her breaks at work. Nat had insisted on being seated in the corner of the room so she had a view of the whole place. She had been distracted that day, glancing at her phone the whole time, and although lunch had been her idea, she had to leave early. And the woman always was so surprised when May texted her to hang out, like she wasn't expecting May to want to continue their friendship.

Her niece would do the same thing. Skirt around a question or remark without anyone being the wiser. It horrified May to think how long her P had been doing that before she noticed and now her friend was doing the same thing. May was positive that Nat was into something dangerous.

Someone walked into the room collapsing onto another couch and falling right asleep. Five more hours and she was done. But first, it was almost time to do her round of night meds. Her feet protested the pressure on them as she headed back onto the floor.

The subway ride home was uneventful and it was dark by the time she arrived at home. The hospital was understaffed and May had to stay later than she thought. The phone had rung without answer as she sat trying to call Peyton. She assumed her niece was already asleep and closed her eyes for the rest of the ride; letting the motion of the train lull her into a trance. The air was brisk and she walked with purpose.

All the lights were off as she stepped into their apartment and Peyton's door was closed. At least she knew the girl was safe and asleep. She hoped that the nightmares would be kept at bay tonight. The bed called to her but she remained in front of Peyton's door. Should she check on her and let her know she was home for the night? Peyton was a notoriously light sleeper and May didn't want to disturb her more than necessary. Best to let her sleep through the night. May was dead tired and collapsed into her bed, scrubs and all.

Her wrist moved to cover her eyes in an attempt to block the sun pouring into the room. When that didn't work she rolled over with a groan. Mentally she through a checklist of everything she had to do that day. It was Sunday and she worked later but her morning was free. Just as she reminded herself of all the chores she had to do her stomach conveniently interrupted.

The covers tangled around her limbs as she tried to leave the bed. Once she made it to the kitchen she ran on autopilot: turning on the coffee machine, eyeing the full dishwasher, and scrolling through her phone. Once she sat down, cup in hand, May enjoyed the morning. She even tried to read through some of the paper. After her cup was empty she filled another with tea and went to Peyton's room. As of late the girl hadn't drank any coffee. It used to be her favorite drink but for the past six months she had refused it.

May knocked on the door before opening it. She expected to be greeted by a small tuft of hair peeping out from under the covers and a loud groan of protest as she shook her niece's shoulder. Instead the door swung open and the girl's room was empty. The covers were all thrown about, Peyton never bothered to make her bed, and the piles on the floor were in the same spots as they had been before. May tried to think of the last time she had been in the room. It looked like everything was in the same place as before.

The kitchen chair was cold by the time she got back. Something was wrong. May looked around the kitchen and spotted the note left the day before. The note. There was no note left today and that was something Peyton was always conscious of. Although she often left out the where, Peyton always let May know if she was going out.

May's stomach clenched as she tried to reason with herself. Everything was fine. She was most likely out somewhere and had just forgotten to tell her. But May found herself reaching for her phone before she could try to convince herself everything was okay.

"Good morning sweetie, just wanted to call and check up on you. I haven't heard from you and am worried. Let me know if you're okay. Just drop me a text. Okay, love you Peyton." She hung up and tapped her phone on the table. The pit was growing more ravenous as it fed on May's fears. She picked up her phone again. Ned had texted her back saying he hadn't heard from Peyton over the weekend. Not since school.

She wouldn't still be over at Stark Tower, would she? Sure, Peyton went to conferences before but there were other people there and it was for her job. She didn't know how she felt about Peyton spending the night for no reason, especially because she hadn't heard anything from the girl.

Her feet paced on the carpet. What if she had been wrong in her impression of Tony Stark? What if she shouldn't have let Peyton accept the internship? There had been so many late nights since the internship started and her niece's mood had been volatile lately. They had argued this week. Had screamed at each other for no real reason and the dark circles under Peyton's eyes had scarred her. But no matter what she did the girl never answered her questions and May had just blindly trusted her niece without pushing. Had let her walk into a situation that may have done more harm than good.

Her neck went hot as she thought all this through. She jabbed the bottoms on her phone, tapping her foot while it rang.

"This is Tony Stark's phone. I'm probably out saving the world. You know what to do." And then he didn't have the decency to answer.

"Yeah, Hi Mr. Saving-the-world. This is May. May Parker and I just want to know where my niece is? I don't appreciate you keeping her there without even letting me know. I am her family and it's my decision what she can do. You do know she's only fifteen right? I can't even talk right now but if I find anything has happened to her. I will find you. I expect her back. Now. And answer your phone next time." She tossed her phone onto the couch not feeling any better than before.

If anything she felt worse, felt scared. Why wasn't he answering his phone? If something happened to Peyton, if there had been an accident or something May wasn't sure what she would do. Her girl was the light in her life. Had he done something to her? No, she had to believe that her little P was okay. She had to be. Plunking down on the couch she once again grabbed her phone and dialed one last number.

"Hello." Nat's voice rung strong and clear over the phone.

"Hi, Nat. It's May. May Parker."

"I do have caller ID, May." She could hear the smile in the woman's voice and responded with her own before it fell.

"I'm sorry to bother you but I don't know who else to call."

"There's no bother. What's wrong?" It all came pouring out. All the worries she'd been having about Peyton and the fight they had. How she was at the internship with no word. Her secret worries about the man, about Peyton in trouble. It all came out. Nat was mostly silent, letting the woman talk until she ran out of steam. May sniffed and wiped her eyes waiting for her friend to respond.

"Look May. We haven't known each other for very long and you don't know a lot about me but you have to trust me when I say that Tony Stark would never do anything to harm your little girl. That much I know. As for the rest, why don't I come over? We'll find her."

"Oh, you don't have to do that Nat. I …"

"No, you're worried and I trust your gut. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Thank you for helping."

"Always."

* * *

Tingles ran through her arms connecting her nerves with a spark. As she awoke her hands moved, she forgot about the restraints, and set off a chain reaction up her arm. She shifted behind in an attempt to get feeling there again but it remained stiff. Peyton, with caution, tried to abduct her arms ignoring the raw skin rubbing against the restraints. No luck. There had to be some way to get out of here. Her stomach protested it's lack of contents and she whispered for it to quiet feeling ridiculous that she was talking to an organ.

So far there had only been the three people in her little room. The two leaving almost right away and the majority of time was just her and the map man. The former pair hadn't been back yet and she wasn't looking forward to another meeting with the latter. If he just came close enough she could head-butt him, but what then? She would still be chained to this poor excuse for a chair. The best option, maybe only option, was to just wait it out even though she hated being passive.

Closing her eyes she focused. Concentrated on saving her strength for when the man came back. She could still feel the soreness in her jaw when it moved and was worried that her healing factor wasn't working. The chair he occupied was still in front of her and she wished she could break free just so she could bend it together and kick it across the room.

At least now she knew why she was here. But why did they want to know about Nat? And who were they? As far as she knew the woman had been lying low since Germany. Their first meeting came to mind. The picture of Nat lying vulnerable on her couch while May hovered over her and healed her wounds. She never asked how the woman had got them. And May had met her beforehand somehow. Hadn't she said that Nat had helped her out in a tough spot? Peyton wished she had asked more questions at the time. Had paid attention better instead of just worrying about herself.

If only she could pace or do something. It was miserable just sitting here unable to move. Her mind kept going in circles. Escape plans drifted in and out of her thoughts. Rescue attempts also featured. Some were of Mr. Stark, tearing down the walls, his reactors blazing. Others were of different people including Ned and May. The one that affected her the most was when Ben came. Unlike the others in her daydreams he didn't come barging in, humiliating and defeating her captors. Instead he came through the door and knelt in front of her. His smile warmed her heart and she yearned to reach out to him, to hold him close to her. Ben caressed her cheek, murmuring reassurances to her. Just as she leaned into his hand he dissipated mouthing an "I love you."

The door opened and the map man came in smiling.

"Glad to see you're awake. You slept for a while. Since we had a little trouble yesterday I've brought something that will help you… divulge a little easier." The door opened again and the large man came in. They walked toward her and she held her ground this time, not flinching back. "Hold her." While the map man's eyes stayed on her face, enjoying her discomfort, the other resolutely stared at the ground so he wouldn't have to acknowledge the tiny girl's face.

"I told you. I don't know anything."

"Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?" The man behind her wrapped his hands around her forehead, keeping her still as the other took a pouch out of his pocket. She struggled against the hands but they gripped her tighter.

He pulled something shiny out of the pouch. The object's point gleamed in the lighting and strained toward her skin. One of the hands around her head moved to cover her mouth, gargling her protests. The room felt too small for all three of them. The chair protruded into her back. Dust floated in the stagnant air around them and she struggled to breath through the hand. Then a small prick followed by a pressured sensation bit her in the neck once again. The smooth surface glided out of her without resistance and she felt a small drop fall onto her bare shoulder.

"Like I said, don't worry. This will just make you a little more malleable to us." He continued to talk but her vision had gone fuzzy. A white noise enveloped her, they grey coming out of the walls to wrap around her in a cocoon. The room, which had been so boring before was a kaleidoscope of images now. The hands restraining her head softened and she leaned forward.

"There you go. Now. One more time. What do you know about the woman known as Black Widow?"

"Look Mister Map, I've been trying to tell you. I already pointed you in the direction of the museum. If you couldn't find it that's on you." When she turned her head to face him the hands let go. She stared, this time it was her smiling, not paying attention to the footsteps and door closing. The man sat down in his chair, still too close for comfort. There were three of his heads floating in front of her.

"I'll tell you anything you want if you tell me where that button down is from. May would love something like that." Her head tilted to the side as laughter escaped her.

"Ah, yes. Aunt May. Friend, nurse, mother figure. It would be such a shame if…"

"Don't even go there. Don't even speak about her." Her voice was deadly serious punctuated by a giggling bubble.

His fist struck out again, her head easily moving to the side. She couldn't say anything, wouldn't say anything to give away Nat.

"Peyton, Peyton. What a beautiful name for one who is shaping up to be so annoying. What information did she disclose about her findings? You've seen the evidence we have of you two collaborating. We know she confided in you."

"I don't have anything to say to you." Her words were syncopated and slurred toward the end. The kaleidoscope concentrated in front of her and moved forward until it was hovering in front of her. She stared at it mesmerized until it came forward and fused into her chest.

Why wasn't she talking to him? The man seemed nice. After all, he was smiling at her. Peyton was confused but she returned the gesture. His hand smoothed down her hair and her eyes closed. This was so much better than the burning but something whispered to her. A feeling in the back of her mind stopped her from answering the questions. Ben's face appeared and somehow she knew something was wrong. They had given her something, some type of drug that was affecting her senses.

He stepped back and searched her eyes before sighing and pushing up his sleeves farther up his arm. His fist hit her again physically making her stay silent. The few hairs he did have on his head were misplaced. His hand came back stained with red as he sat down with a small sigh. They were both panting and the drug still tainted her system.

"Look, this has been fun and all but I really have got to be going." Her voice shook between her breaths conveying just how afraid she was.

"I don't think so, my dear. We have plans from you. Don't get too comfortable while I'm gone." He smiled again but grimaced at her face. "Such a waste," he murmured as he shut the door.

Once alone she laughed to herself. This was too much. It's not even like she knew what they wanted but was thankful that she hadn't said anything. She hadn't given in and let them have the satisfaction of seeing her broken. Her head bent forward sparking the sore muscles but she paid it no mind. Droplets fell onto her pants creating a disordered splatter.

Her stomach rolled and she leaned over promptly vomiting over the floor, the sick splashed up onto her legs. She spit and it mingled with the wet concrete. She needed to find a way out of here but it was so hard to think. She had to find a way out of there.

* * *

Again thank you to everyone! I can't believe this story is already this far. Thank you for the support and sticking with it.

Let me know what you think!


	20. Chapter Twenty

Happy Friday!

* * *

Natasha accelerated through the traffic, weaving in and out of the cars all at a standstill. It was exhilarating and there was a superior air around her because of the sleek vehicle she was riding. Her old motorcycle had been destroyed and she had quickly bonded with this new one. They had formed a kind of understanding with each other. An understanding that appreciated speed and demanded nothing less than the very best performance from both rider and machine.

The sun streamed directly overhead as the people rolled their eyes at the motorcyclist disregarding the traffic laws. Some even sneered when the driver veered onto the sidewalk at one point, scattering the pedestrians, and leaving them angry in her dust. The wheels turned at a high speed pace but her heartbeat remained constant, steady.

She swung into an alley, ignoring the no park sign, and turned off the motorcycle. Walking around to the front. Along the way sizing up the building and making sure everything looked normal. Natasha climbed the stairs that were quickly becoming familiar. The door's paint was chipping around the edges and she winced at the lock they had. Anyone with a connection to YouTube could figure out how to break in. She would have to find a way to convince the occupants to upgrade somehow. After knocking once she waited, not wanting to barge in, before knocking louder a second time. A shout came from inside followed by footsteps.

The door swung open and the brunette stood before her. Her body fell against the doorframe and Natasha could see tremors wracking her hands. Without saying a word May plucked herself away and led them further into the apartment. The couch dipped under their separate weights and May wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt. Natasha wasn't one to talk without reason and waited for the other woman to start. To tell her what she knew.

As she waited, Natasha glanced around the room. Not for the first time she saw the picture of the Parker's family. It looked like Peyton and Ben had come up behind May and planted a kiss on either cheek. A huge smile adorned May's face and was a dramatically different image than the one sitting next to her. How cozy they all looked. How happy and loved they were in each other's embrace. From Peyton she knew that her uncle was no longer with them and Natasha grieved the loss for them. With them.

Fingers grasped her wrist and she fought the urge to relieve them of their hold. The hand shook and their eyes connected, forcing her to focus on the situation at hand, and not idling's of the past. May took in a deep, ragged breath and broke the silence.

"She still won't answer, Nat. On one hand I think I'm being paranoid, you know? Sometimes she goes off on her own, especially after Ben. But on the other hand I can't help but worry. Something just doesn't feel right and there's this squeezing in my chest like I know she's in trouble. She always leaves a note" Natasha took May's hand in her own and clenched them together.

"Listen to me. What I'm going to ask you to do is hard. I know it is but I would never ask if it wasn't important. I need you to trust me. Okay?" The woman searched her eyes and upon finding what she was looking for nodded. Relief coursed through her veins at her friend's firm understanding. This would make it easier. "You have to stay here. I need you to stay here. I am going to find her. No, don't interrupt. I said this would be hard and I meant it. You're an amazing mother and I know you want to be there but this is what I was born to do. I can find her. I will find her and bring your baby back to you."

May's eyes closed in an attempt to control the tears that were begging to fall and Natasha, after everything, had a hard time predicting what her friend was thinking. The first time they met Natasha was exhausted and pissed off. Her motorcycle had been ruined and was annoyed that she had to take the subway. It was frustrating to leave herself so open on the public transit. Staring out the window all she wanted to do was get back to her place and to sleep the lingering days of reconnaissance off. She had put on her don't bother me face and was left alone.

Then the excuse for a man had gotten up and started harassing May. Natasha observed her. The woman had remained calm, centered, the whole time only moving to bring her purse in front of her and reaching for what she assumed was pepper spray. Most people in uncomfortable situations looked around for help, for support but this one remained unflinching at the man. Maybe the woman was hardened? Like anywhere but especially New York, it wasn't so forgiving and was easy to fall into a jaded view of the world. She found the opposite in the woman who thanked her profusely. Who trusted her, a stranger, after something so insignificant. With earnestness that you couldn't pretend the woman's shoulders fell in relief and she hugged her on the spot.

Natasha walked back, card in hand, wrapped in a warm daze. She knew it wasn't in May's nature to stand back and let life wash over her. No, she held more command of her life than that but Natasha could find her niece much easier if she didn't have to worry about the woman following her.

Finally, May assented but her frown told a story of her reluctance. May gave her Peyton's number along with a friend of hers from school and last May gave Natasha a number she already had. And it was her next destination. She left the woman in the apartment alone with some peace of mind knowing May wouldn't be searching the city. The lights overhead casted shadows on her face as she sat on the couch waiting for her phone to ring.

Natasha put her helmet on and without a backward glance tore out of the alley making her way to Stark Towers.

It was ironic how life worked out sometimes. How the connections in your life welded you together with the people in it. She had been surprised when May had told her of the internship. Of the girl's association with Tony. When they first met, well, properly met it had been the morning and she was still aching from her injuries the night before. The girl had been tense. Natasha was used to that type of reaction from people. The normal person could tell she was different. That there was a certain danger about her and like animal instinct it kept them away from her. So, no, she wasn't offended by Peyton's behavior. The girl was kinder than most. Almost alarmingly polite which made her smile. The moniker Miss Nat had made her laugh whenever the girl spoke it.

There was something though. The girl never acted afraid of her, just cautious, and because of that distinction Natasha observed her closer than normal. She was hiding something and it was bigger than her aunt could imagine. The fact that Tony had taken an intern was one clue.

The building loomed like something out of a child's imagination in front of her. The lights streamed like beacons across the city. She knew he would never hurt the girl intentionally and he would be in a world of pain if something had happened to her on his watch. Natasha had a worried mother and friend waiting for her to bring the girl home and Tony was going to give her some answers.

Stark Towers was impressive and she never ceased to wonder how Tony's ego could be grander than the building. She strode in, making sure to flash her ID badge, and smile to the secretary, Rob. He returned the smile and on seeing the seriousness in her eyes refrained from trying to chat. The lights of the city filtered in through the giant windows and she smiled. Stark Towers may be a beacon of hope to many in the city but the city was just as much apart of the building too.

"Hello Friday."

"Hello Natasha. Tony isn't currently in. Should I let him know you are here?"

"Dammit," Her teeth ground together in frustration. "Yes… Please. Sorry, Friday. It's not you."

Friday responded that it was no problem and she walked onto the floor. She bypassed the couch and chose to sit on a table positioned by the window. Once settled she stared out at the expanse in front of her, she had been many places around the world but loved the New York skyline against the setting sun. The apartment was silent besides the tapping of her foot against the table leg. Not five minutes later the sounds of Tony's arrival came from below. He came rushing up the stairs, joining her on the main level.

"You know there is a perfectly comfortable couch right there, right?" She stared at him, repressing her frustration. He looked like shit. His clothes were wrinkled with dark stains under his armpits. His hair, which on a normal day had a physical pulchritude –though she would never tell him that- looked greasy and unkempt. "What do you want Nat? I am kind of busy at the moment."

"I want to know where the girl is, Tony." He stared at her.

"How do you know about Peyton?"

"I know May. May Parker and she's worried sick. So help me if you got her involved in anything."

"I didn't get…" He started indignantly before he threw his arms up and fell down into the couch. His forearms came up to rest on his thighs as his head bent down like he was praying.

"I don't know where she is, Nat." He sighed. "Where do you think I was, eating a bon-bon? No, I was out there. We've been looking into this warehouse that she was shot at and it's bad. The shit I found there dates back so far. I was even thinking about contacting Rogers to see if he knew anything about it."

"Okay, I'm going to ignore the fact that you just said she was shot, for now. But what warehouse? Tony?"

The table slid out from under her when she hopped off. She tapped their shoulders together as she sat down and waited for him to answer. He pulled up a screen, which hovered over the coffee table and pulled some footage. When the image of the building appeared her heart dropped. The reel continued and she couldn't move. Natasha was helpless as she watched the strings in her life pulling tighter, leaving her bound in a web she hadn't seen. One she couldn't have possibly known was already woven around her.

She watched as the girl also caught in the web sported a familiar looking spider on her chest. The girl and Tony split up and she looked on as Tony found the same room she had.

She thought back to when she found that room. The files had just finished downloading and the computers lined against the wall went dark. Natasha snorted at the decoys and unplugged her encryptions. It was supposed to be a simple mission. Go in, grab the data, and leave undetected. Simple. But she had been distracted, unfocused, and paid the price. And out of character for her she missed something.

She had exited the building when four men came out of the shadows, surrounding her. They threatened and taunted her, but it was nothing she hadn't heard before. Shutting out their incessant chatter Natasha focused on her breathing. Making sure she was taking deep breaths in and out she took them out one at a time. Their hits were no more intense than what she was used to but she was tired and that made her sloppier than normal.

The four men lay in various positions around the alley at the end of their confrontation. Natasha was left standing against the brick wall. Her breathing was heavy and she flinched as she lifted her head to look overhead. The night sky was out but the stars were shrouded by the city's light pollution. It disturbed her to see the effect the city could have on the ineffable sky and had to turn away from the black. Grabbing a hoodie to cover up her injuries that she had stashed in the alley she noticed a small paper had fallen from the pocket. Before it had the chance to soak in the puddle she scooped it up from the ground, her side aching in protest.

The name stood out from the white background. She flipped it over and spied her own handwriting listing the address she hacked from the hospital. May did say anything after all. The aching in her chest worsened and she left the relative shelter of the alley, somehow making her way to help. To May Parker.

Her breath hitched as she stared at the image of the girl sitting in the same alley she had been in only a week before. The red masked stared up at Natasha from the ground. The same warehouse. The same alley. The same girl tangled in the same web she had been caught in.

"Tony, what have you done?" What had she done?

"Look, she was already doing this before I showed up and then we got to know each other. The kid is brilliant. She designed so much of that suit and then after Germany I was going through some stuff and she got hurt when I wasn't there so I told her we would go there together. It seemed like the perfect training exercise. I've been looking all morning and left so many voicemails to her yesterday. I thought she was just out with that friend of hers, but I can't find her."

With care she let her fingers rest on his back before speaking. "I think I know where she is Tony." His spine went straight under her fingers. She tried to explain as best she could without giving away need-to-know information.

"I was sent by Fury to gather information on an off sect of Hydra. They were working on something that he was interested in and I was contracted to get the data for him." She left out the part where she got sloppy and was hurt. "They must have followed me. I was…. distracted and went to the Parker's. She's a nurse. May, that is. And now I would bet anything that they have her."

He lacked his normal smirk and witty comeback. Instead he stood up without looking at her. "Suit up. We are going to go get the kid."

The images of the warehouse transformed to a glowing map in front of them as Natasha directed their plan. While they had found the information and had both visited the warehouse, Natasha didn't think that was where Peyton was. The actual building lacked the versatility of a headquarters. She thought that the base would be somewhere else; somewhere more secure. Under the files she had found there were other buildings leased to the same name under the pseudonym of Imperial Industries. The locations spanned across the city but after a brief conversation with one of her sources they narrowed it down to one with an influx of activity. With grim looks they embarked to find Spidergirl. To save Peyton.

* * *

The halls were narrow as she navigated through the building, gun at the ready. Her and Tony had split up at the entrance, hoping to find the girl faster. His face had been tight and he hadn't given room for argument as he strode off into one end of the labyrinth like halls.

Tony liked to take the obvious power heavy approach. His tactics were muscle through and ask questions later. She, on the other hand, liked a more subtle style but today she took on his methodology and burst into the security room. Three men yelled in uproar as her anger mounted. Without looking she took them out and observed the cameras. There it was. She tried to keep it under wraps, to stay levelheaded, but with every twist and turn her stomach clenched tighter.

The corner impeded her vision and she had to peer around to get a clearer look at the unexplored hall. A man and a woman were standing in front of the reinforced door she saw on one of the monitors. She felt the various knives and guns hugged tight against her body, comforting in their embrace.

Squaring her shoulders she took a deep breath in before turning the corner. Her shoes clicked against the floor and the two occupants turned, pointing their weapons at her. The first, a prissy looking woman, shot and Natasha ducked before picking up her pace.

Strategically it would be better to take out her strongest opponent first, the most aggressive. At this point Natasha didn't care who went first. The woman stepped forward. Her black leather outfit seemed a tad on the nose but Natasha admired the buckles on her boots, spotting a slot for a knife in the back of her heel. There was no time to play cat and mouse and she brought her gun up to shoot, just missing. She noticed that the man did not engage and stayed in front of the door.

Their fists connected and her lips pressed together from the jarring contact. Natasha wound her arm back before bringing it forward with a grunt, hearing a crunch as the woman fell back. Her nose started bleeding and she flinched but didn't raise her hand to the point of impact. Natasha brought her hand to her side slipping a knife out of a pocket and released it into the air. A thump resounded around the hall as the woman's body fell. The knife was standing at attention in her forehead.

Her neck cracked as she grabbed another knife before walking toward the man. His gun stayed at his side while his eyes searched her gaze. Her chest aching from the exertion and she took the moment to catch her breath.

"Hit me," He said, the sound low and resolute. Natasha flicked her eyes to the corner of the hallway. Two cameras. His body moved slowly, giving her enough time to mimic his stance before he winked. There was no time to talk, to find out why he was letting her through. Her feet pounded as she ran forward kicking him square in the chest. The door shook as he fell back and without waiting she punched him in the nose causing his head to bounce off the metal again. His body pooled at her feet and she slid it away.

The door's lock was familiar to her and she knew how to crack it. Instead she shot it twice and swung it open. Before entering she sent Tony a message. "Stark I think I located her. Sending you coordinates now."

Her gun breached the entrance first and her eyes ran across the room, heart quickening at what she saw. Sturdy cuffs encased the girl's ankles. Natasha could see the irritated skin peaking out from the edges on her ankles. Her clothes were what you would expect from sitting in a chair for more than twenty-four hours and droplets of a dark substance sprinkled across the front of her tank top. Peyton's shoulders were drooping forward, hunched at an angle that looked uncomfortable. Most troubling of all was that she couldn't see the girls face.

Natasha's eyes were drawn to the imposing figure behind her. He leaned in a casual manner on the wall opposite to her and he smiled warmly at her entrance.

"We've been waiting for you Ms. Romanoff. Haven't we, my dear?" His hands curled around her shoulders as he walked from the wall. Peyton's eyes bore into hers, exposing the moisture forming to her eyes only. Natasha's arms flexed and her gun rose higher.

"Step away from the girl." He lifted his hands up to placate but didn't step back. She inched forward trying to get closer.

"I would be careful if I were you, Natasha. You see this here?" He opened one of his fists and it held a slim device: a controller of some sort. "This is directly connected to the pinioned Peyton. She knows exactly what they do and, I'm sure, doesn't want me to use it again."

"Drop it slowly and kick it over to me. Do it, now. " Her voice was low and serious and his smile dimmed a bit, unused to people unwilling to play the game.

"And why would I do that? You expect me to give up my leverage?" Natasha stepped forward again, now in the center of the room.

"Leave the girl alone. What do you want?" A million different scenarios came to mind and the one she was dreading the most poured from his lips.

"Why, you of course. You took something of ours and we want it back. Peyton here was just a way to a mean. Although we certainly had fun." The girl flinched at his comment, folding into herself.

"Shut up." She made sure to keep the quiver from her voice, to not betray her emotions. The pounding of her heart drummed loud in her head but fell silent to the others.

"I don't think so Natasha. No, we are just getting started." His hands rose in front of him and her hawk like eyes stayed glued to his blue ones. Their cold color looked back at her, not an ounce of humor present. She couldn't stand to listen to anything else he had to say.

"Close your eyes. Now." The girl, bless her, followed her command as soon as she spoke it and a gun went off. It's booming thunder echoed around the room, ricocheting off of the walls and into their ears. Natasha ran forward pumping her arms. Her knees hit the damp floor and the molded metal was cool under the vise like grip of her fingers but unmoving.

Her fingers let go of the cuffs and hovered in the air, afraid to move closer to the body shackled there. Dark swirls of yellow and purple painted her skin. Her hair normally bouncing with life was wilted like an un-watered plant. Tears gathered in the creases bunched together at the corner of her eyes. She could feel the cool temperature of Peyton's skin radiating through the air to her fingers. They remained bound in the air for fear of hurting her.

"You can open your eyes now sweetie. It's going to be okay." Green met brown and their skin touched. Her cheek was soft and Natasha could feel the swelling.

A groan came from the third occupant of the room. His prone body dispatched on the ground. The metal device had fallen to the side and she launched herself at it. Once the sleek metal was in her hands she turned to the supine man. Deep maroon liquid was seeping into the clothing at his shoulder. His moans continued at a high interval. Natasha grabbed her gun and pistol-whipped his head, causing the man to fall silent. Pressing the button caused a whirling to sound behind her. The restraints bloomed open but Peyton remained still. The floor was hard against her knees as she got closer to her and made sure to stay in the girl's line of sight the whole way.

"It's okay, Peyton. You're safe now." Natasha's hands curled around her small forearms, aware of the injuries scattered there, and brought her arms forward. The hands resting between hers were swollen and red, and she moaned as they were freed into a normal position.

Natasha could see the spikes crusted with red on the inner circle of the cuffs and examined the girl's wrists closer. Underneath all the bruising and irritation she saw small indentations ingrained in the skin and her stomach crawled with realization. She had seen much bloodshed and horrors in her relatively short life. More than most people would see but everything about this struck her the wrong way. The way Peyton's eyes remained glassy and unseeing. How she kept her arms still angled backward, like they were yearning to be back in the restraints. She didn't say anything as Natasha moved her body and whispered to her. Her body rigid like a doll not used to motion. Natasha tucked the girl in her lap and cradled her to her chest, hoping to leech some warmth into her.

It was quite for some time. Their breaths and heartbeats unmatched: one much faster and more erratic than the other. Peyton seemed to sense a change and leaned into her chest. The girl's ear pressed against her heart listening.

The door exploded outward and the red and gold suit came bursting in. Seeing as the danger was out of commission his helmet slid straight back revealing his face.

"Oh my god." He whispered not walking further into the room. "Is she okay?"

"You need to do a scan. I didn't want her moved out of here until we knew for sure what had happened." His fingers flew as the light shined up and down on her body. The eyes that were normally full of mirth were haunted and more resigned with every word that graced his screen. Her skin was still too cool and left a clammy feeling on her own.

"That son of a bitch."

"I know but she's going to be okay." Careful of the girl's fragile body she slipped off her jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"We..."

"No, I'll take care of him, Tony. You need to get her medical attention. You'll be faster than me anyway. Plus, extracting information is one of my specialties." His eyes flickered over to her before nodding. One of his knees touched the ground as he gathered the fragile girl in his arms. Her arms and legs spasmed at the contact, kicking out against the unknown touch. His powerful arms clasped her to his suit and condensation puffed onto his suit from her breath. She looked so small, so fragile against the powerful body holding her. Peyton's eyes were scrunched closed against the light.

"It's going to be okay, Peyton. We got you. I got you." His hoarse voice was no louder than a whisper. "I got you. Look at me." Finally her eyes focused and she saw him. The relief was palpable and shone out of her eyes and into Tony. His breath caught in his throat as she turned her body as much as she could into his suit, latching onto any crevice her small fingers could get in. The metal fingers came and smoothed her hair back before seeing a cut in her hair line and bringing his fist back to hold her to him.

Natasha was awed observing their reactions, feeling the trust and love radiating between them. She felt bereft of the body that had taken comfort from her before. How after all of what she had been through could she still trust so easily? The girl was so much like her aunt in that way. He straightened his back and went to walk out before looking back at her and nodding. They would talk later.

With a roar of his turbines Tony and the girl left. A grin stole across her face and she felt giddy on beholding the man on the floor. She was indeed skilled at gathering information and could make the experience as pleasurable as she wanted. Or as painful.

His body fell against her as she hoisted him in the air. Uncaring she threw his body into the seat that had been vacated. The body slumped forward and Natasha withstood his touch a moment longer to clamp the restraints shut. They were made for much smaller hands and his thick wrists pushed against and splurged out of the sides. When he woke up he would be surprised to find his situation switched with the girl he stole from them. Natasha, though, would be quite pleased with the information recovered. Like she said, she always delivered.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who has read and commented. It means a lot to me and makes my day!

Let me know what you think!


	21. Chapter Twenty-one

Hey everyone! Summer classes have been so much work but luckily they will be ending soon(ish). I just finished two essays and now to work on the third due tomorrow. Wish me luck, lol. I hope you are doing well and enjoying the summer!

(As a warning there are mentions/descriptions of a panic attack. I'm not an expert but all I know is my own experiences and those that I have read while researching.)

* * *

It had been twenty-four hours since she had woken up in a familiar bad. The white sheets were tucked around her body, the crisp folds in them showing how little movement she must have made while sleeping. It had been eight hours since the doctors came, their gentle smiles and professional tone calming her and reminding her that they only meant to help. Two and a half hours had passed since she ate and the familiar rumble was back in her stomach. Fourteen minutes had elapsed since she had cried. The splotch of snot and tears was still damp on her pajamas.

Of those twenty-four hours the doctors had been in and out constantly to check on her. Mr. Stark had been there for twenty of them and May had been there for twenty-three of them, although Peyton slept for some of that time in the middle. Friday was there to see it all and recounted what happened to her since she arrived. She thanked the AI and the room fell silent now that she was alone.

Peyton remembered the feeling of waking up. She burst forward upsetting the covers. Her arms burned with the movement and the scream that tried to escape from her throat sounded more like a strangled cry. The covers balled tight in her clenched hands as her eyes searched blindly around the room. Right away soft hands soothed down her back and separated the curls in her hair. Familiar hands. Peyton's eyes adjusted to the room settling on her aunt.

May's face lacked its normal brightness. The shadows made her look closed off and the darkness beneath her eyes pulled down the rest of her face. Peyton didn't want to talk to her aunt, didn't want to see her after everything had happened. A leviathan well of shame built inside her, expanding up and out, making it hard to inhale. She had been lying to her aunt for so long that she didn't know what else to do. She didn't know what to say anymore.

Peyton tried to smile at her, to tell her she was fine. They were words she had said to her aunt and to herself countless times over the past year. She was fine. Tears welled in her aunt's eyes and were caught in the caverns below them. May demanded to know what had happened. Why Peyton wasn't telling her everything but Peyton wouldn't speak. She couldn't speak. A buzzing noise filled her head and she leaned back against the pillow. If she said anything now it would be too much. She would be admitting to everything.

"I'm tired, May," She said weakly and her aunt's face softened for a moment. Peyton forced herself to roll over so that she was facing the window. The moon glowed bright into the room and she could hear her aunt standing there before moving toward the door, which shut, leaving the room bathed in silence and starlight. There were murmurs from her aunt and another woman in the hallway but she focused on the sound of her breathing instead. The light faded as she shut her eyes.

* * *

Peyton had just finished drinking a disgusting but according to Doctor Casab "highly nutritional" smoothie. The still half full glass mocked her from the side table as she stared around the empty room. Her legs were itching to move about and she yearned to leave the room that she had been cooped up in for so long. Nobody said she wasn't allowed to leave technically. She was weary that the doors were locked. That out of concern for her safety, they would try to keep her in the room.

"Fri- Friday? Can you open the doors, please?" Her breath congregated in her chest, swirling around as she let the pressure build.

"There is no rule that says you cant leave the room Peyton, but I highly suggest, in order to keep your healing progressing, you stay and rest. Everyone has been worried about you." She hesitantly looked up; searching for the eyes she knew weren't really there.

"Thank you, Friday. I just, uh, need to get some air right now." Her lips stretched thin for a moment before falling plump on her face, trembling still.

Dragging the IV tower behind her she tested the doors, which opened with ease. The floor felt foreign under her feet and the cold tiles soaked into the pads of her toes both refreshing and shocking. She tried to hurry along the room but her muscles protested the sudden movements. She hissed as the muscles in her chest pulled in an uncomfortable direction.

Peyton had never taken the time to observe the waiting room before. It seemed like every time she swept through here she was either preoccupied or unconscious. As waiting rooms went this one was nice, although she never expected anything less from Mr. Stark and Miss Potts. Her breath was heavy from the short walk and she sat on one of the couches positioned against the wall.

The cushions formed around her behind and were comfortable yet firm. She scooted against the backrest, which molded to the perfect spot in her back. The walls were adorned with the most beautiful art she had seen out of a museum. It was the kind of art that made you sit there and fill with hope. It made you question how the artist knew that those two colors next to each other could provoke such a reaction out of the observer. Her breath calmed as she sat there staring at the paintings. Maybe she should try to learn to paint?

The sound of brisk footsteps rung out and like the dogs in Pavlov's experiment salivated at the bell, her heart rate picked up to the sound of an intruder. She scrunched her eyes shut against the light and the paintings disappeared along with their hopeful qualities. Instead they were replaced with grey cement. The monotone color bore down on her in their solidity. Peyton wouldn't look up. Couldn't muster the strength to stare at the cuffs of the balding man whose name she still didn't know. One arm curled into her body in an effort to protect her center and the other ran through her hair, pulling the curls straight. She could hear the sound of some of the tangles ripping out but felt no pain.

She deserved the pain because she wasn't strong enough. Everything that happened was possible because of her weaknesses. What had happened, what she let happen gave truth to the fact that she deserved it. She knew that now and was thankful she knew.

The footsteps stopped and his breath fogged down her beck beckoning her hairs forward. Something weighed down the cushion besides her and she tried to move over but found she was stuck in place. The memorable burning of her arms was back and she almost longed to move them behind her so they would be able to go numb instead of sit through the burning.

Hands touched her back and she whimpered. The rushing of her heart clouded her hearing and her head shook the tears from her eyes, letting them fall over her pajamas. Her scalp protested against the pulling and hands encompassed her wrists. A strangled sob left her as stabbing pain infiltrated her wrists through the scars there. Her breath that had been coming to fast stopped and she tried to see through the grey. She felt too hot and too cold. The walls were closing in. She couldn't breath.

A voice broke past the grey, fracturing, and letting the barest of the paintings colors show through.

"You are Peyton Parker and you are in Stark Towers right now. You are sitting in the waiting room and I am Tony Stark. You are Peyton Parker." A blurry figure sat besides her and she ripped her hands away from the restraints. His hands rose as a response in surrender.

Her left hand hovered over her right wrist, scared to touch it. She was scared to feel if the angry welts were back again. Mr. Stark was there beside her and the bright colors on the wall filled her eyes.

"Mr. Stark?" She said, her voice wobbly from not using it. He slowly leaned forward and set his hands on her shoulders. The warmth soaked into her clothes and skin radiating the sun directly into her.

"I've got you kid. It's just us here." His hands were heavy cementing her in the present. The tears streamed down her face and his arms wrapped around her. Securing her to him. The apparition of breath faded away and left only a faint condensation on her skin.

"I'm scared, Mr. Stark." She whispered.

His hands rolled back and forth lightly on her back. "I know, Peyton. I'm so sorry." His shirt was dripping but she stayed lain against it until she fell asleep.

The next time she awoke she didn't know how many hours had passed. Her hands rested on the bedding and she observed her wrists. The redness had faded but she could, if inspected close enough, see the small indents ingrained in her skin. Her mind shied away from thinking about that.

Trying to distract herself she looked around the room. The moon was lower at whatever hour it was and the light shone past her and landed and the sleeping figure of Mr. Stark. His neck was bent at an odd angle that made her own twinge in sympathy. The lines around his mouth were furrowed and taunt. The apples of her cheeks heated at the though of him sleeping poorly because of her. She wondered if he had stayed with her the whole time.

She looked around the room and spotted her phone lying on the side table. The covers shifted around her as she tried to make little noise, freezing at the moving fabric and only started moving again when only the sound of his breathing filled the room. Her arm stretched across the small gap and ignoring the soreness grabbed her phone. Settled back onto the bed she let out a breath and stared at the black screen.

The number glowed bright and the green call button taunted her directly under the smiling face on the top of the screen. How could she call her aunt? What would she even say? Peyton felt too entangled in her lies to find a way out. Her hands were clammy and the phone fell into the sheets piled between her crossed legs.

"You know, that won't bite. Unless you know something I don't?" Her head whipped around to see Mr. Stark unfurling his legs from his sleeping position. His arms reached over his head and the pops his back produced had her cringing.

"Oh, uh, I know. I just, that is I wanted. I need to call my aunt…" Part of her was worried that he wouldn't let her. That he had already told her aunt something about what happened. That her lies would continue.

"She's actually here, kid. She's the one who called in Natasha to find you and is worried sick about you. Won't stop bugging me."

"Does she… What does she know?" The chair squeaked from the lack of weight. His eyes searched her face before and being careful not to touch her wrists settled his hands on hers. Slowly her fingers opened up to receive his.

"I'm sorry, Peyton. I know that any apology won't cut it but I am. I, well kid, you mean so much to me and I was going crazy over here not knowing what had happened. Everyone was worried. I know this is up to you, but I think you should tell May. I think that this secret is eating you up on the inside and that you miss being close with your aunt. She loves you so much. She wasn't afraid to leave voicemails on my cell, I'll tell you that. And if you're worried about safety I have that covered. We can cover that in depth later though. Anything you decide, I've got your back."

It was almost everything she wanted to hear and everything she didn't. The fear of rejection was an acute piercing in her chest. Peyton wanted to tell her aunt, had wanted to for so long but the fear held her back. If what Mr. Stark said was true she could spill everything and protect her at the same time. It seemed too good to be true. And what would May think? The grey walls flashed before her and the past couple of days weighed on her mind.

"You don't have to say anything about what happened. No one is going to pressure you but we are all here if you want to talk. In fact I have a therapist that is here to talk if you want someone you don't know personally. I find that always helps me." She looked down to find water plunking down on their joined hand and without letting go; she brought her shoulder up to wipe her face.

"She's here?" Her voice sounded weak to her own ears.

"She was wearing the carpets to thread so I sent her to bed. There's no pressure, Peyton."

"You sent her to bed?" Her eyebrow rose.

"Okay, I had Pepper do it." He smiled for the first time since she had seen him last.

"I just need to think about it." He nodded and they sat together in silence.

Mr. Stark stayed with her through the night. Before moving back to his chair he dragged it toward the bed and they fell asleep, hands still joined. Blows rained down on her in a dream and jolted her awake. It was still dark and he was there to sit and lend his protection from whatever haunting found its way into her room.

For a long time she had lain there listening to their breathing. She pretended to be asleep but somehow he knew. Mr. Stark started telling stories from his life. Many of them featured some guy named Rhodey who sounded seriously cool. She listened with rapt attention, eager to soak up anything about his life until her eyelids wouldn't stay open any longer.

In the morning he excused himself apologetically to answer some calls and joked with her that she smelled so he needed to leave the room. Peyton took that as a small hint and decided she needed to use the shower before leaving again. The water felt fresh running down her body and when she glanced into the mirror found that the marks were all gone. She marveled at the resiliency of her skin, still not used to how fast she healed but grateful that she did. A shiver tore through her and by the time she was dressed her limbs felt weary and weak.

The steam rushed out of the bathroom as she pulled the door open and froze when she saw the woman sitting in the seat Mr. Stark had vacated. Her appearance was impeccable as always. The red locks were curled in loose ringlets and her clothes were pressed and all black. The only aspect out of place that Peyton could observe was the red, angry coloring of her knuckles.

She felt shy all of the sudden and memories came rushing back of Miss Nat's arms wrapping around her. The woman's soothing voice and her hands running down her hair came back to her. She felt the sensation of her matted hair sticking to her skin, which was damp and broken. The tiny marks marred her flesh as the grey walls enclosed in…

"Hey Peyton." It was the same voice that was there before. That saw everything.

Her breathing escalated and the lights in the room were too bright. Every lie was plastered onto the walls, illuminating into her every truth. Her fingers curled around the molding of the door as she struggled to breath in. Her vision blurred around the edges and all she could see was Miss Nat's body coming closer. She flinched back and tried to contract her chest only to be stopped by something. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she breath? Think normally? The pounding of her heart was beating out of her chest and she was sure anyone around could hear it clearly. The wall caressed her back as she slid down to the floor.

The next sensation she knew was quiet. The room's lighting was different from what she last remembered. Peyton tried to move only to find arms wrapped around her. She stiffened at the realization before the scent relaxed her. After blinking a few times she turned to see Miss Nat sitting next to her on the floor. Peyton's body was practically in her lap and she scooted back to give them both more space. The woman let her go without complaint but she missed the strong arms around her.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened but I was just startled and …"

"You don't have to explain. It's a normal response. You had a panic attack, Peyton."

"Oh, I, um. It felt so real," She whispered. "It was like I was back in that room."

The woman's eyes were sympathetic and Peyton felt her cheeks heating up. The back of her neck tingled as she traced the separate tiles with her eyes. She didn't want to talk about that. Didn't want to think about it…

"Do you think I should tell, May? I feel confused. Even before everything I felt like I had to hide it. What would you do?" Miss Nat observed her close before answering making Peyton squirm.

"I can tell you what I did and that was hide away from the people that cared about me. Until recently I didn't have a family and it took me a long time to trust them, to tell them about myself. It's still difficult for me to do that but I felt so much lighter once I did. I'm much better for not only having a family but also being apart of it. I can't tell you what to do, Peyton. That would be wrong but I know your aunt loves you. If you're worried about her reaction, it will turn out okay. I don't think anything could stand between her and her love for you."

Peyton's lip wobbled and she nodded her head. Her hands rested on Miss Nat's knee and she forced herself to look the woman in the eye.

"Thank you for everything. I, I can't really put into words but I was beyond scared and you found me. I can never repay you."

"Hey, there is nothing to repay. Us spider's have to look out for each other. Don't we?"

They smiled at each other. Peyton yawned interrupting the smile and Miss Nat forced her up. The woman in a rare display of domesticity tucked the covers around her before turning to leave. The woman's hand was on the door when she turned back.

"If you need anything. Someone to talk to, some spider advice, or anything just text me." She was gone before Peyton could say that she didn't have her number but when she looked at her phone it was already in there. A smile stole across her face as she fell asleep for what seemed like billionth time that day.

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Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to read this little story! Hope you like this next part.

Let me know what you think, please!


	22. Chapter Twenty-two

Hello! I hope your weekend is going swell! I'm kind of nervous for this chapter for some reason. So I hope you all like it. Thank you to everyone for the support :)

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_Last chapter: "If you need anything. Someone to talk to, some spider advice, or anything just text me." She was gone before Peyton could say that she didn't have her number but when she looked at her phone it was already in there. A smile stole across her face as she fell asleep for what seemed like the billionth time that day. _

Peyton practically had the pattern of the bedspread memorized. The twists and turns in the stitching wove a tight and intricate design through the sheets. Her nails scrapped against the stitches and pulled at them until they resisted and then continued across the material. She was glad that she was being released from her prison today. The word prison was an exaggeration but she hadn't left the tower since she woke up. Her body had healed a while ago but everyone seemed nervous to let her leave the tower.

She wanted to be annoyed, to stomp like a little kid throwing a tantrum until she got her way, but in actuality it was nice being in the tower. After multiple inspections and a small amount of grumbling from her, she was free to wander around the building. Doctor Casab tried to make her convalescence better but Peyton was used to being active. It was frustrating how out of breathe and slow she was at the beginning but soon enough her body felt back to normal, which was why she was anxious to leave. Not because she wanted to but because she wanted to get back to normal. Everybody was walking on eggshells around her and it was making it hard to forget why she was there in the first place.

In an effort to distract her Mr. Stark and her had started working in the lab again. It was also another way for him to keep an eye on her, but that part didn't matter as much to her. They were working together, like before, and even started on more upgrades to a suit.

Those quiet times in the lab were her absolute favorite but Mr. Stark wasn't always available and as a result she got to know the others more. Miss Potts came around for dinner some nights bringing the best carry out from the most exotic restaurants. Her questions never veered into unwanted territory and made Peyton feel like the woman was interested in her. Miss Nat, Nat, came by as well. She had insisted that Peyton displace the titles and Peyton blushed but agreed. They spent much time in quiet companionship, which made Peyton feel safe. The woman had begun some combat training with her. Their sessions ended up most of the time with Peyton lying on the floor. Peyton had been so proud when she knocked Nat to her knees. Right away she was helping the woman up and apologizing but Nat just smiled and nodded her head. Nothing could dash her good mood that day. All together it was starting to feel like she was apart of a family again.

The relationship between her and May was still on uneven ground. And it was mostly because of Peyton. Something had shifted inside of her and it was hard to account for it around her aunt but Peyton felt unbalanced, unconnected living at the tower and away from May. The decision to tell her aunt was still swirling around in her head, crowding her thoughts and making her second guess every action when Peyton was with her. It had got so bad that now she was avoiding her aunt. She knew it wasn't fair. That her aunt was worried, had even taken off work to be here, but she couldn't bring herself to face the issue until she decided what to do. What she was going to say.

Mr. Stark had made her a new phone. One she was sure had multiple trackers programmed into it, not that she minded. The phone hadn't stopped lighting up since she got it and the messages from Ned were non-stop. She didn't have the heart to reply yet but the time to go back to school was coming up. Peyton wanted to go back, really. To get a sense of normalcy again but she was nervous she didn't know what normalcy was anymore. Living in the tower was like a dream but it was so perfect that it was disorienting. There was nothing that needed worrying there. The pantries and fridge were always stocked full of food. Somehow her dirty laundry was done and pressed before the day was over and most shocking was if she needed anything, even mentioned something in passing, Mr. Stark or Miss Potts would get it for her.

One evening they were all sitting around watching Star Wars when Peyton got excited because it reminded her of this great Lego set that her and Ned built. The next day the same one she talked about was sitting outside her room with a lovely bow and note attached. It was nice, beyond nice but at the same time it made her feel uncomfortable. She wasn't used to getting whatever she wanted and begged Mr. Stark to take it back. He resisted at first but when she explained that most of the fun was in assembling it with Ned, he relented.

She was also scared. She could tell something wasn't right with her. There was something, some feeling, hanging over her. Wherever she turned there were grey walls and sometimes, without reason, her heart would start pounding. She would have to leave what she was doing and hid in her room till the pressure tightening against her chest stopped and she could breathe again. Nat said that it was normal but it was wearing on her and the dread of going through another episode was almost as bad as the actual ordeal.

It was a trial getting herself to go down to the lab that first day. Mr. Stark was walking down the stairs in front of her. Her legs still held some residual trembling so she held onto the railing, hoping he wouldn't see her grasp for assistance. The glass doors slid open and her breath caught as her feet stopped short, the toes of her shoes dangling off the edge.

The color grey assaulted her every way she looked, filling her vision. The shining metal of the chairs glinted from the strong lights above that Mr. Stark had flicked on. The metal railing bent under her fingers as her knuckles turned white. Her concentration was focused on the room and she couldn't unclench them. The sound of his voice broke her out of her trance and she hastily let go, staring at the finger indents.

"You okay, kid?" His concerned eyes reached out to her as he stood looking up from the bottom of the stairs and his eyes rested on the damage she inflicted. Peyton began to apologize but he waved it off and she fell silent, staring down at the man. She was taller than him, for once, but couldn't find it in herself to joke about it.

"I just need a second, Mr. Stark. I'm sorry," she said as she sat down on the cold stair.

He regarded the lab and with recognition came up and sat next to her. She hadn't told him everything but he had seen the room when they found her. He had also been there enough times when she had woken up from a dream to know an idea of what was troubling her.

"You know we can paint it up. Pepper's been trying to redecorate down here for years anyway." She shook her head without thought. Concentrating on controlling her breathing. His shoulder bumped into hers causing her look up. "I mean it. A few coats of paint won't hurt the place."

"You can't just paint a whole room for me, Mr. Stark. That seems extravagant." He laughed and replied that he was a man who thrived in extravagance but didn't argue.

He let them sit there until she could stare at the room without feeling a tremble overtake her hands. The warmth of the body next to her helped the muscles in her shoulders unwind. Using the railing she pulled herself up, took a deep breath, and descended the stairs. Peyton twisted to look back at him, who had remained sitting, waiting to see what she was going to do. She looked back once more before asking Friday to open the doors and as the glass doors slid open she stared ahead and walked forward. She tried to keep the quivering out of her steps.

They only stayed in the room for twenty minutes that day. The posters lining the walls helped. Like the art in the waiting room they broke up the uniformity of the color skulking beneath. She hadn't been able to sit down in the silver chairs around the room so Mr. Stark stood with her while they worked that day. He didn't even question why she was averse to them and just let them sit empty behind them.

Toward the end she dropped a soldering iron causing a small burn to form in the metal they were working on. The shaking had come back. She apologized profusely but Mr. Stark didn't bat an eye. He picked up the iron and set it back in its holder. If he noticed her eyes darting around the room with an increased frequency he didn't say anything. What he did do was claim that he was starving and set them on track to the kitchen in order to make some food. His hand was heavy on her shoulder as they walked up the stairs, lending her support. Peyton learned that day his cooking skills, at least in the area of pizza making were amazing. Was there anything the man couldn't do?

The next time they went down to the lab was somewhat easier. The steel chairs were gone and replaced by swivel chairs with a comfortable material they could sink into. The walls were still grey but she notice a picture of the two of them sitting on one of the counters. It had been taken by Friday one day while they were working on her first suit. They were leaning over a piece of metal and she supposed he had said something funny. Their faces were painted with wide smiles and laughter. Her cheeks blushed bright when she had spied the chairs and photo. Her own thanks and hug made Mr. Stark's cheeks look like her own.

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Today was the day that she was leaving the tower. Mr. Stark offered to drive her home but May insisted on coming to pick her up. When she arrived Peyton noticed the darkness lingering under her eyes. She was still in her scrubs and her hair was frizzy from being at work. Instead of her usual exuberance May in a quiet voice thanked everyone, especially Mr. Stark. He was stunned when she gave him a large hug. May's hugs were the best. She briefly came out of her shell when Nat came down the stairs and the two women nodded in understanding at each other before hugging tightly. Nat whispered something that Peyton couldn't hear in May's ear. When May turned to greet her the smile faltered and May shifted back and forth on the balls of her feet.

After a tense moment Peyton reached forward and embraced her aunt. Her arms came around the woman and they held each other tight. It felt like they hadn't seen each other in so long and the gulf between them receded for a moment. May whispered that she loved Peyton over and over, and Peyton swallowed a lump that formed in her throat. Once the round of goodbyes and more hugs, yes-even Happy got a hug, were done Peyton and her aunt hit the busy roads leading home.

The apartment looked the same as when she left, maybe a bit more clutter on the countertops, but there was a foreign feel when she stepped into her room. The air didn't smell familiar anymore and she felt like a guest in her own room as she unloaded her clothes that May had brought for her. Her folds were neat and the lines in her clothes straight in the drawers by the time she was done. She found that the mattress had the familiar dip that hugged her body as she settled into the covers, curling up in the blanket of silence.

Dinner was quiet and the food felt like sandpaper going down her throat. Her leg kept bouncing up and down as her hands became clammier. Once their plates were empty May made to get up and clear them from the table, mentioning that Peyton should go and try to get to sleep early. Peyton moved forward and could feel the muscles in May's arms tense under her hand, a question forming in her eyes.

Peyton tried to practice her speech earlier. She had stood in front of the mirror and relaxed her voice so that the tone would be even and her words would spell logic. Even still her stomach fluttered at the look on May's face. The chair screeched along the floor as she got up and started pacing. She kept turning back to make sure her aunt was there, afraid May had gone despite her signal to stay.

"What is this all about, Sweet P?" Her feet padded back and forth but it was her nickname that persuaded her to talk. It felt like forever since she had heard her aunt mutter the moniker. The soft tone lulled her to sink back in her seat and her head fell into her hands.

"May, I have something to tell you…" She swallowed once before it all came spilling out. All the secrets, the lying, and the pain that was grown inside of her came oozing out, their heavy weight hanging in the air between them. As she talked her body straightened up, her head back reaching up toward the ceiling. It felt good to let it all on the table. Finally confiding in May. She skipped over her many injuries and fights. There was no point in worrying her aunt any more than she probably was.

May sat stock-still through the whole speech, her eyes intent on Peyton's gestures, taking in every movement, every word. Her breath came in short bursts by the time she was done and her nails trailed along the grains in the wood table. A hand came under her chin and pressured her neck up. Tears dripped onto the wood as May stared at her niece.

"Oh, my little Sweet P. You must have felt so alone." Those simple words broke the remnants of the barrier she had created down and her own tears rose to meet May's. They grasped hands across the table scattering the papers to the ground around them. Their fingers held onto the others with such force that the two women felt more united than they had in a long time.

Peyton let her emotions free and when the reservoirs of water seemed to dry up and all that was left were sticky tracks down the sides of her cheeks she smiled at her aunt. Not the small hesitant smile she gave her at the tower and not the scared smile she gave when waking up from the ordeal. No, this smile was the expression of gratitude so deep that it filled Peyton a million times over. It was a smile of knowing that her dear May had been there for her during her whole life and would continue to be there. The acceptance glowed out of May and warmed Peyton to her core.

Her eyes were tired and May took them over to the couch. They sunk into the cushions and leaned against each other. May wrapped her arms around her in a protective position. Her arms covering the back of her neck and torso, while her hand played with the tips of Peyton's hair. Peyton's eyes blinked slow, weighed down and languid after talking.

"Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake. I love you so much, sweetie. Thank you for confiding in me," her aunt whispered while rubbing her thumb against the nape of her neck. The sound sent her eyes down and she felt lips against her hair before her mind was at rest.

Both of them slept through the night and well into the next morning. The recent events caught up with them and neither stirred even when the sun and birds woke early. Breakfast was quiet and she could feel the tingling as May glanced at her in between bites. A smile quirked on her face as her aunt quickly looked down when their eyes met.

"Go on. Ask me whatever questions you want." There was a moment of pause before May jumped right in.

"So you are _the_ Spidergirl? The one we've been watching on the news?"

"Yep, that's me." It was weird to confirm it aloud after protecting her identity for so long and a voice at the back of her mind screamed at her not give it up but she locked it away. May's spoon spun in the cereal bowl before asking again.

"Was that my old workout suit you were wearing at the beginning?" Peyton's cheeks heated at the image of her original costume and she bashfully nodded to her aunt who promptly sounded a throaty chuckle.

Her aunt went on to ask all sorts of questions and voice her concerns.

"No, I don't make the webs. Yes, I can stick to walls. Um, yes I did happen to go to Germany and fight against some of the other avengers. You did give permission to go to the conference, though. It was just a bit farther than, uh, you thought."

May's hard stare at that had been enough for her confident visage to wear off for a moment.

Sometimes she looked on the verge of sentencing Peyton to her room and other times her eyes would light up and they would laugh at a story together. Through it all May accepted her and this new revelation about her life. The questions about what happened the past week and why she was hurt were harder to get around. That round left them both in separate rooms and stewing in their anger. She tried to promise her aunt that she would talk about it someday but couldn't quite get the words out. In all truth, Peyton didn't know if she would ever be ready to talk about it.

They spent the weekend together, basking in living together again. The tower was great and she loved spending time with everyone but after talking with May she realized that this was where she belonged. The conversation moved away from Spidergirl and danger to high school, which was dangerous all on its own. The plan was for her to go back to school after the weekend was over. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered at the thought and she wondered if she would ever be ready to go back to Midtown, if she would ever be ready to face the realities of high school again but she was determined.

The weekend concluded and Peyton found herself standing at the bottom of the stairs of the school. The building's large stature blocked the rising sun and restricted Peyton's view of the morning light. She gripped the straps of her backpack tight in her hands. She had finally texted Ned back last night and stared at the phone until it lit up. His worried yet exuberant reply left her smiling.

May was clear when she told Peyton that she didn't have to go back to school yet. She told her that she could take all the time she wanted to rest up and get used to being home but Peyton was adamant. It was something she had to do. Not only did all the homework she missed plague her worries but she missed classes. Missed being amongst people her age. Now she was regretting that decision and turned to face away from the building.

"Peyton!" Ned's voice shouted from the top of the stairs. She twisted back around and smiled at his figure jumping up and down trying to get her attention; the worry forgotten for the moment. They ran one down and one up the stairs to meet in the middle before crashing into each other. Peyton grabbed Ned's arms to steady him so he didn't fall back. Ned was mumbling incoherently and threw his arms around her, which she gladly returned. They separated, smiling, and did their handshake. Their movements constrained by the stairs.

It was like no time had lapsed between them and Peyton knew she made the right decision to come back. School was just the icing on the cake and, of course, Ned was the cherry on top.

He was rambling about some new game that they had to play once it came out when they passed Flash at his locker. At first Peyton didn't notice anything different but she realized that instead of the barrage of people normally surrounding him, he was alone. His hair was standing on end and the clothing was littered with wrinkles. The opposite of his usually pressed outfits. They walked by both pretending that they weren't rubbernecking him until they turned the corner and Ned halted them.

"Dude, I forgot to tell you. You won't believe what happened while you were gone." Ned didn't even have to wait for Peyton to prompt him to continue. His excitement at telling her gossip was written over his face as he barely took in a breath before talking. "First you were gone and then Flash was gone for a couple days. No one had heard from him, not even Mr. Harrington, which is unusual because Flash always sends him articles and videos of himself to show off for Decathlon."

"Get on with it Ned!" She hurried him along wanting to get to the bulk of the story before the bell rang.

"Yeah, anyway, he was gone and when he came back these rumors started to spread about his family. Apparently, his dad was a real jerk and someone called CPS on them. I haven't been able to confirm but the watering hole gossip is that he was moved to a new home but it's all very hush-hush if you know what I mean…"

He continued on but Peyton stopped listening. Flash's dad? Is that why he was so upset when she had goaded him? From what little she knew about the CPS it always seemed like those types of things took way longer than a week to settle out. Someone didn't just make a call and a child automatically got moved out. There were normally visits and hearings, she thought. The whole situation had money written all over the set of rumors and she smelled Mr. Stark's involvement somehow. Had he done something after she confided in him about their fight? The urge to go and confront both Flash and Mr. Stark right then and there came over her. How had something like this happened without her knowledge?

Then she thought of what it meant if the rumor was true and Flash was moved to a new home finalized. Her stomach dropped at the images they conjured up. She had never met his father before but she remembered how many times she overheard Flash talking agitatedly on the phone with someone before a meet and him being disappointed no one would be there to watch him compete. Flash insulting her would follow once he caught her eavesdropping but she could never get rid of the image of Flash's shoulders drooping at the information being told to him over the phone. The way his breathing would catch and how his nose would sniff for a while afterward all the while pretending nothing was wrong. Just small inhales like he was trying to stop the emotion from escaping.

The bell rang interrupting her thoughts and Ned talking. They hurried to class leaving her to contemplate what she had just heard and what she would do about it.

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Thanks again for reading, all the lovely comments, and favorites, etc. I appreciate every single one of you.

I'm on tumblr at Elizabeth-234 if you want to come say hi or chat :)

Let me know what you think!


	23. Chapter Twenty-three

Hi Friends! Thank you for sticking with this story and Peyton's journey. I appreciate you all so much! Here is the next segment. Enjoy!

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The situation bugged her the whole day. Her eyes were drawn to Flash's dark hair again and again but nothing was noticeably different than his unkemptness she observed in the hallway. The lunchroom was as crowded as ever but from her vantage point she could see Flash sitting in the same place he sat every day. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes but Peyton wasn't sure if that was just her projecting the rumors onto him. The surveillance continued throughout the day and by the time social studies rolled around she was resigned to talking to him to get her answers.

Instead of stalling outside of the classroom like she normally did, today she marched right in and took her seat. The bell hadn't rung yet and the classroom was basically empty besides a few people from the class before still meandering about. Her pen moved across her notebook, as she got lost in the forest that was her thoughts. The table shook and a noise startled her back into the room. A pile of books sat in front of her and Mackenzie was leaning over them. The girl's narrowed eyes were trained on her face.

"You're unbelievable, Parker." Peyton's mouth opened to protest but the girl kept talking. "I always knew you were a screw up and isn't it ironic that you actually proved me right?"

"What are you talking about, Mackenzie?" She made her voice low and even in hopes intimidating Mackenzie a smidge.

"We had plans, Parker. You know the ones that you agreed to? I won't be working with someone who won't pull their weight." A flutter settled over her stomach as she realized what the girl was talking about. She shifted her weight back and forth on the chair and tucked her hands under her thighs. Just as she was going to say something Mackenzie flipped her hair over to rest on her back and smiled over Peyton's shoulder.

Flash walked into the classroom with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets before sliding into his seat. Peyton expected that he wouldn't make eye contact with her but was surprised when his eyes never met Mackenzie's either. Some part of her was happy to see a frown on the girl's face but she squashed the petty feeling away. Mackenzie's eyes shifted from Flash to her and the narrow appraisal was back. She leaned over the stack of books toward Peyton again.

"I won't hesitate in telling Mr. Ridermark about it if you don't step up your game. We all know you can't afford to be here so if you get in trouble you're done." Peyton swallowed, her courage failing as she gazed at the girl brimming with confidence. There wasn't anything she could say to contradict it either. Mr. Ridermark liked Mackenzie way better than her and she really couldn't afford to get in trouble.

"Knock it of, Kenzie," Flash said. His eyes never left his phone screen and Peyton did a double take his expression to make sure she heard correctly. Mackenzie's dropped jaw mirrored her own and they both looked at each other in mutual surprise before Mackenzie remembered she was supposed to be upset.

"Flash, she's the one that left us at the library to work on our project. We both have enough going on that we aren't going to get stuck with all the work."

"Nobody wants to hear you complain. Yeah, it was lame but I'm sure she has a good excuse and won't do it in the future." Mackenzie lingered on him a second before sighing and sitting down in her chair. She pulled her notebooks, pencil, and eraser out placing them neatly on her desk before catching Peyton staring at her. At once Peyton busied herself with her own notebook and failed to notice Flash's eyes surreptitiously looking at her. After she flipped away from the page she doodled on Peyton sighed and spoke just loud enough for her two partners to hear.

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up for the project. I know it's not much of an excuse but I got tied up. If you guys catch me up on what we worked on, I'll get to work on the rest."

"See, it was an accident, Mackenzie." Flash spoke before the other girl could start criticizing her again. Mackenzie crossed her arms in front of her as her eyes burned into Flash. He sat there unperturbed and Peyton's pity almost eclipsed her curiosity. Almost.

Class dragged on and at a break they rescheduled a time to work on the project, giving her enough time to work on what she missed. Peyton would have to shorten her time with Mr. Stark that Saturday but when she saw Mackenzie's raised eyebrow over her hesitation, she accepted right away.

She planned it all out. The bell would ring and Peyton would make up some excuse to get Flash alone so she could talk to him. Or maybe it would be better to do it outside of school? In the back of her mind she knew it wasn't any of her business but the snoop in her wanted to know.

The bell rang out, interrupting Mr. Ridermark mid-lecture and before Peyton had a chance to stop Flash he was out the door. Shoving all her books into her backpack as she walked, Peyton left the classroom hoping to catch up to him. She spotted his backpack between the groups of people and weaved through the procession to follow it.

She missed Ned's wave and zoomed out of the building, still following the boy. Flash halted at the bottom of the stairs and Peyton thought he might be waiting for his driver to pick him up. She couldn't count the number of times he taunted her about taking the subway to and from school. He stood at the bottom of the stairs and she stood at the top staring down. Instead of waiting there he looked around and continued past the school boundaries.

Ten feet behind was the amount of space she decided was acceptable in her quest. There was no reason for him to find her out now and get upset before she could properly confront him. All she wanted to do was collect some intelligence on the situation. The two walked quickly through the busy sidewalks and past the various vendors. Flash's head routinely rotated around and behind him as if he was worried someone would follow him. He would've been right to worry and Peyton felt creepy trailing him so far.

Peyton wasn't all that surprised when he swerved down the stairs and descended into the subway platform. It looked like at least some aspect of the rumors were true if Flash was using the subway to get home now. Her feet stood on top of the metal grates as a blast of air swept over her. She glanced at her watch to judge if there was enough time to follow him the rest of the way. If she did she would end up being late for her day with Mr. Stark. After weighing the pros and cons she decided that she felt creepy enough and didn't want to be late. Flash disappeared into the crowd and she boarded another car to take her closer to Stark Towers.

The subway ride flew by and soon enough she was swiping her ID card at the front desk. After wishing Rob, who was always nice to her, a good day she rode the elevator up almost used to the fact that she was at home in the building.

"Hello, Peyton. Tony has asked me to tell you that he will be late today but to get started in the lab." Friday's voice was clinical but Peyton thought she heard a bit of warmth in it during the greeting. Maybe it was wishful thinking but she hoped the AI liked her.

"Thank you Friday. Hope your day is going well."

"It is. Yours as well." Peyton smiled up, thankful that she could talk to Friday if needed. The elevators opened and the lab in all its beauty beckoned her forward.

It was only after talking with Miss Potts one evening that she realized how unusual it was for him to let people into his lab. Mr. Stark fell asleep on the couch when the three of them watched a movie during her convalesce at the Tower. She never thought anything of it because that was where they always worked ever since the beginning, but when Miss Potts started asking her questions about their latest project. Peyton mentioned something some equipment, making sure to steer away for the subject of Spidergirl, Miss Potts smiled shrewdly.

"You know, Peyton. The building only has one of those machines." Peyton fidgeted with her long sleeves.

"Oh, yeah?" She wasn't sure what the point of that statement was. Maybe Miss Potts wanted her to be careful? She shouldn't worry about that because Peyton didn't do anything dangerous without Mr. Stark's supervision. He ingrained the safety rules in her siting that he had to many accidents with only Dum-E for help afterwards.

"Yes. In fact, Tony made it himself. It's only one of a few in the world. I'm glad that Tony trusts you enough to use it." Peyton mumbled her agreement under her voice but was stunned. "Not many people see, let alone work inside Tony's lab and live to tell the tale." Miss Potts laughed at her joke and Mr. Stark woke from the sound.

He took in her thoughtful expression and asked if she was all right. After some reassurance he smiled and ruffled her hair. The thought never occurred to her that it was a big deal they worked in their lab. She couldn't imagine working anywhere else with him. It was one of the reasons she tried so hard to get back down there after they found her. Why it was so urgent for her to work in the lab like normal.

From that conversation forward working there meant even more to her. All the shiny tools, posters, Dum-E, and Mr. Stark weren't just cool but they made it a home away from home. They made it her sanctuary. Warmth bloomed in her chest at the thought of Mr. Stark trusting her to work in his private setting.

Today the lab was quiet. Only Dum-E was gliding around the floor humming a tune she didn't recognize. She forced herself to walk straight into the room and focused on breathing even.

"Hi Dum!" She loudly whispered when he came in view. The robot spun around, narrowly missing a stack of papers at her announcement. It hummed a high pitch and started toward her.

They met in the middle of the room and did their hand shake. It had grown overtime and now even involved some words. At the end they, well, she would yell "Go team" and Dum-E would hum. When Mr. Stark first heard he assumed it was team Iron Man but they quickly corrected his thinking and assured him it was their own team: very classified. Peyton smiled and set her bag down on one of the new chairs still relieved that Mr. Stark bought them. She tried not to glance at the walls and busied herself with grabbing her books thinking of homework she could do while she waited. Without looking up she began reading.

Dum-E was moving about the room making little noises that broke through her reading momentum. She knew that the robot was just minding his business but with every sound echoing through the room her skin would itch and her arm hair would stand on end. She wished Mr. Stark would hurry up. Another small noise had her on the edge of her seat, her leg bouncing up and down. Why didn't she think to wait somewhere else?

The sound of glass breaking interrupted her concentration and she tensed her muscles. The tinkling of the scattered pieces had her sighing and she set her book aside. With shaky legs she saw that the robot was in a part of the lab she had never explored before. There were two rooms that branched off of this part. One was a snack room, which was a kitchenette that was stocked with granola bars and protein shakes. The other was further down the wall and she never saw it before. Peyton found her friend, broom in claw, trying to sweep up the glass.

"Now, what have you gotten yourself into?" She said with a smile. Crouching down brought her eye level with him and she took the broom from the claw. Dum-E held the dustpan and she swept the pieces so together they cleaned up the glass.

Peyton glanced over at the mystery room. The door was closed and the lights were off inside. Curiosity plucked her mind and she made sure that the main room was empty. Not letting herself think of a reason against exploring she reached out and grabbed the door handle. The cool metal lingered under her hand while she tested its feel. She wasn't usually noisy but she didn't want to stay in the lab any longer without Mr. Stark. It pulled down with ease and she held her breath as the door swung open.

Only the opening of the room was bathed in light and left the rest hidden for her imagination. Dum-E stared at her when she looked back at him.

"Well, Bud. Should I go in?" She took the hum as a yes and stepped deeper into the room.

The lights came on automatically and she was met with a sight she hadn't expected. The walls were decorated with hundreds of colored papers. There was no order to any of it and the layers were thick and sporadic. Not an inch of the wall was showing through and the counters were cluttered with an assortment of objects. She spied some stuffed animals piled up in the corners and trophies lining the counters. Almost all of them were Iron Man or Avenger themed. Most peculiar were the pictures of people she didn't recognize. The frames encased pictures of children and even some families.

Peyton was frozen until a nudge to the back of her shin made her move forward. Dum-E's claw hung in the air and beckoned her further. Her eyes caressed the papers again. It was like a shrine with the amount of superhero objects in the room. Peyton didn't think Mr. Stark would have a shrine built for himself, though. She snorted at the thought. Maybe it wasn't so farfetched.

She unattached one of the more creative papers from the wall. This one was decorated with Iron Man along with other Avengers around him. It was from when they were still a team and she realized that it was a card. She opened it and her throat itched with emotion. The handwriting was large and uneven across the page. The crayon letters were ugly but the words they formed were the opposite. It was a thank you letter. Little Maria sent a letter to thank the Avengers for saving her and her family from the aliens that attacked New York.

The card remained in her hand while she went back to staring at all the other papers. They were all letters. Some had the same youthful handwriting with few words and good intentions, and others were pages of typed gratitude. They all told a varying story about how Iron Man came to their rescue. Time and again he was thanked for saving someone.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a distantly familiar drawing. The paper was near the top of the wall and she climbed up onto the counter to reach it. The paper was thin in her hand and she held both ends so it wouldn't fold over. The drawing was worse than she remembered and she blushed at the awkward wording inside. Her name was scrawled across the bottom followed with what should have been an illegal amount of hearts. Why did he have all of these in here?

Her eyes didn't leave her drawing as Dum-E hummed urgently. She waved him off trying to think of the answer to her question.

"Kid?" She whirled around clutching the card to her chest. Mr. Stark looked at her with a smirk. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I was calling your name and you didn't answer."

"I was just, the door was unlocked and that is… Dum-E made me come in here." She said eyeing the robot who gave an indignant noise and hid behind the door.

"I told you to watch out for him. He's always getting people into trouble." The sound of him retreating and consequently knocking into something made them both laugh.

"Mr. Stark, I never pegged you for one to make a monument of yourself." Her voice was light in sarcasm. Peyton didn't want to pry but it was a curious day.

He smiled at her gentle teasing but walked past her and ran his hand over the papers taped to the wall. His arm was strong but Peyton noticed a slight tremble in his fingers.

"Mr. Stark?" She didn't want him to think she was making fun or anything. He didn't turn around but continued to observe the colors.

"It started out as a reminder. In the beginning it felt like Iron Man against the world and I was…alone. Then all these letters arrived and I couldn't just throw them away. Someone took the time to send these letters to thank_ me_. It made it all worth it." He picked up one of the picture frames. "All their beautiful families still whole after horrible events. It makes everything that we go through worth it." The papers rustled and Peyton stared at his back. His muscles tensed and relaxed as he moved. For the first time Peyton realized that under everything Iron Man was a man. Yes, he was her hero and a billionaire and a genius, but he was also a person, like her, who needed to be reminded that he was doing the right thing.

He came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Her head leaned over naturally to fit against his arm.

"I-I think I understand." He moved away and looked at her face before tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

"I know you do, kid."

He plucked the yellow paper out her hands and ran his fingers along the folded edge before opening it. Her eyes scanned his face, waiting to see if he would understand. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly and a cocky grin stole across his face.

"Well, well, well. Someone has been an Iron Man fan since day one. I knew there was a reason you acted all cool and suave on the roof the first time we met. You didn't want me to know what a groupie you were." Peyton smacked him on the arm, restraining her muscles a bit, and he mocked being hurt.

"I was young, Mr. Stark! And, and you saved me…."

"What was that? I couldn't hear the rest?" He spoke still grinning.

"I just said that it was a big deal okay?" Her voice died down after that. "I can't believe you still have it. I just assumed that some secretary would throw it away."

Her eyes closed halfway as she stared at the card. The terror she felt that day whispered over her skin but the solid metal arms that picked her up and carried her from harm came to her memory with ease. He saved her then and he saved her again. He and Nat found her in that cold grey room and took her away to safety.

She looked back at him to find him staring at the drawing on the front, his hands delicately holding it around the edges and a small, funny smile adorning his face.

"Mr. Stark?" She whispered now. His eyes lifted away to look at her. "I- thank you." She cleared her throat. "Thank you for saving me."

His eyes softened and she looked away. She couldn't say anymore but hoped he knew that she wasn't just talking about the expo. He didn't say anything but nodded seriously. Peyton wrapped her arms around him and smiled when she felt his arms tighten around her.

The next time she was in the lab a burst of yellow caught her eye. She walked over to find her card framed and hanging on the wall in the middle of a row of awards he received.

* * *

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Let me know what you think, please!


	24. Chapter Twenty-four

Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well. Thank you for sticking with this story!

* * *

The light from the TV washed across the floor. Peyton knew she should be watching the movie but her gaze rotated between her watch and then Mr. Stark who was lounging next to her. He held a bowl of popcorn they made in his hand. The first batch they made burned, all Mr. Stark's fault although he blamed her. Once they finally made an edible snack they sat down to watch the movie. He shifted so he was facing more toward her and she quickly pretended to watch the movie again.

Her eyes unfocused on the screen as she thought. She couldn't stay late tonight. May was coming home from work and Peyton promised that she would be home so they could spend time together. She needed to ask soon or risk not finding out. After a moment she looked back at her watch and then at the man. Without moving his eyes from the TV he spoke, startling her back.

"Alright, Peyton. Ask away." He had a smirk and she blushed at being caught. She loved the nicknames he came up with for her and knew they were never meant in a derogatory manner, or to poke fun at how young she was. Nothing, though, could beat the sound of her name. It felt special when he said it somehow. Like he was savoring it, only letting it out on special occasions or when he was well and truly happy.

She fumbled with the blanket and tried to keep her face blank while glancing up under her eyelashes. They met eyes when she didn't answer and he raised his eyebrow, leaning toward her.

"What's wrong?" She sighed before answering.

"I heard some rumors at school."

His other eyebrow rose to greet its partner and his smile faded a bit. She hurried to continue not wanting any misunderstandings. "It was just something so like you. Like the room with the cards and I know it's not my business but I feel like it's my fault, even if that doesn't make sense and I…" She blushed. "I'm not making any sense. Am I? Sorry for bothering you."

He leaned forward and scooted down the couch till he was sitting next to her. She rested against his side and let her head drop on his shoulder.

"Hey, hey. Start from the beginning and we'll work this out. Whatever it is I doubt it's your fault." A breath flew out of her lungs forcing her back to curl inward.

"Did something happen with that boy in my class? Did you do something about what I told you about Flash?"

She felt his body freeze next to hers and realized that this wasn't what he was expecting at all. He shifted back and for some reason her eyes were scratchy at the thought of him moving backward. Before she could think about it his fingers applied pressure under her jaw and raised her face so they could look at each other.

"It's okay, Peyton. You're okay." He sighed. "It's complicated, kid. I don't want you to think I'm not on your side because I will always be on your side in that matter and anything else. There were some red flags when you talked to me and it made me worried." She opened up her mouth to talk but he silenced her. "I know you look out for the little guy, but this time I could. Though it's not really my story to tell. All I did was pull a few strings to get him moved to a better home."

"Why?" She whispered. It was nice that he was concerned. That he cared even though he had ever reason not to with Flash. Mr. Stark even refused to say his name most of the time. The silence was deafening. "It… You don't have to tell me, Mr. Stark. It's none of my business."

"It's not that. It's just personal." He ran his hand through his hair. "I heard what you said and it reminded me of when I was a kid. I mean I had it all. Anything I could ever ask for but from that freedom came expectations and Howard, my father, demanded that they be met. Let's say that I learned quickly how to please." His words were methodical and it pained her to hear them. Her stomach clenched at the thought of his childhood. At what lay behind his words. He continued to talk, to explain, the dynamics of his life. Peyton, like when she had found the card room, realized how good he was. How human he was. People loved to portray him as a legend, as Iron Man, and yes he was. Mr. Stark was also a person, like Nat. Like her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark." He scooted over and brought his hands to frame her face. His thumbs ran under her eyes and she was surprised to feel the tears run together under the pressure.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. I didn't say that to gain pity. I wanted you to understand."

"I think I do. Somehow though it doesn't make me feel any better." He chuckled as he leaned back, his own eyes bright with dammed in moisture.

"Knowledge doesn't ever tend to make people feel better but the price of knowing in the end is worth it." She nodded and curled into his side. Her head rested on his shoulder, his warm arm wrapped around her back as they finished the rest of the movie. Peyton's eyes felt heavy and all her plans and practicing of her questions for Flash drifted to the back of her brain.

* * *

The brick was hard against her back and she looked back and forth along the sidewalk, waiting. Her stomach clenched as she debated her course of action. It really was none of her business. She had no reason to pry anymore into the situation with Flash. Mr. Stark explained some of it. More than she anticipated once she was thinking rationally. She lifted off of the brick and shifted her feet before landing back on the wall again.

His hair caught her attention first when he rounded the corner. He had earbuds in and didn't see her right away. It wasn't until he passed her that she saw him stop and slowly, like in a movie, turned around to stare at her.

"What do you want Parker?" His voice was defiant but quiet, much different than the usual. She swallowed at the resigned look on his face.

"Nothing." She said quickly. "Well, I just..."

"What?"

Her doubt cemented and was slightly disappointed with her decision. No matter how curious she was it wasn't her business. Even though she was involved in an indirect way, her and Flash were not friends. He didn't owe her anything and she had no right to pry in the end, even if she was still dying of curiosity.

"I, uh, I just wanted to make sure that Mackenzie is not still mad. Did you see I sent in the Google docs?"

His eyebrows rose at her paltry attempt to steer the conversation but he answered anyway. They stood there, Flash fidgeting with his earbuds and Peyton rocking against the wall. Finally she broke the silence.

"Yeah, so that's all I needed. Thanks." Again his eyebrows furrowed.

"Sure, Parker." She wanted the earth to swallow her up whole and talked at the ground.

"Okay, so I have to go but, yeah, thanks again." Peyton turned to leave, concentrating on making her steps even.

"Hey Parker," Flash said. Her head turned to see him standing where he was before. This time she raised her eyebrow.

"Hey Flash."

"Look." His hand came up to scratch behind his head. "I don't know what you did but, um, thank you and tell Mr. Stark thank you."

"Sure," she said. "See you around."

She smiled hesitantly and his own was less of a grimace in response than she was used to. Peyton turned around and started her walk home, continuing to debate whether she should have asked Flash for more answers.

* * *

"Pass the noodles please, sweet P." Peyton looked across the table and smiled at May and Nat. It was one of their now weekly dinners and the pasta was perfectly al dente. These get-togethers made her feel nice, normal even. She winced as she passed the hefty bowl to her aunt. Her aunt's eyes narrowed at her expression but she said nothing to Peyton's relief. The patrol she went on the night before had been rough but she really didn't want to answer any questions about it yet.

The two women across from her chatted about their day and Peyton smiled at the openness in Nat's eyes. It was hard to believe that not long ago Nat was hurt on their couch, a stranger. The surprise at seeing her red hair in their apartment was long gone by now and instead was replaced by a warm glow. Nat was good for their family.

She helped May write a letter to her boss asking for a raise. All May wanted to do was burn it up unsent but Nat was firm and May gathered the courage to send it. When they got the word that May received the raise, they all went out to celebrate. And like she said Nat was there for Peyton. She taught Peyton how to calm down from a panic attack and how to meditate to help steady herself before sleep. In turn Peyton thought that her and May helped Nat feel easier, more open. Her laughter came easier and she shared more about her life.

By the time dinner was done Peyton's stomach was protruding with pasta. They started on the episode they left off of in Parks and Rec. Peyton could feel her eyes drooping closed and the TV sounds faded into the background.

A dense fog rose up from the floor, leaving tendrils of smoke caressing the dark concrete. Peyton groaned and sat up, staring at the unfamiliar door. The silver steel was tough, heavy duty, and goose bumps rose along her arms. She crossed them and rubbed her palms along the outer parts of her arms. Where was she? Light emanated from under the door and her spidey senses pinged. Peyton crawled toward it and tried to see underneath it. Something was in there but she couldn't see. Her arms shook as she rose to her knees and pressed her hands to the door, like she would be able to permeate through.

A cry came form inside the room sending chills down her spin. She knew that voice. Peyton pulled herself up to her feet and pounded on the door. The cries grew louder, more animalistic, and they egged on her attempts to knock the door down. Her fists hurt from the impacts and small dents formed into the metal but it would not budge.

The cries crescendoed and the banging of her fists echoed together until they stopped and faded into silence. She leaned her head against the steel and let the cold sink into her skin. Peyton allowed her self to sob once and tempered the rest down. Her brows furrowed as mechanical sounds came from behind the door. She stepped away and the mist dispersed as it groaned open.

Peyton steeled her shoulders and walked into the room. The air was heavier and she couldn't see anything. The doors closed behind her but she stared forward. Not willing to take her eyes off of whatever was in front of her. She could hear the sound of heavy breathing and two hearts beating. One was calm and steady while the other was palpitating, erratic. She coughed when the smoke engulfed her body and had no choice but to breath it in.

The temperature rapidly cooled down and her breath mingled with the mist surrounding her. Peyton walked further into the space and slowly the fog rose. She saw a pair of bare feet clenched against the cold tiles. They were marred with dirt and dark specks along the top. She didn't recognize them. The fog continued to lift and black pants were revealed next.

She gasped when the round symbol shone through. Her hand trembled against her lips. Peyton would recognize that triangular symbol anywhere for the rest of her life. Her eyes continued up not heeding her own urges to stop, to save herself from the face that was waiting. Their eyes connected and Peyton held back her tears. They were wrinkled in pain and dull. His hair was matted around his face, which was sweaty and bruised. The smile that could always calm her was erased. Mr. Stark's lips were cracked and his breathing was labored.

She moved forward to release him when a figure moved from out of the shadows. The rolled sleeves and balding head made her heart pound. She was frozen, trapped in her own invisible holdings.

"Hello, Peyton." Her eyes were wide as she stared at the man looming over Mr. Stark. "I am sorry that we have to meet like this but you're looking well. Better than Anthony here." He moved his hands so that one clasped his shoulder making Mr. Stark hiss and the other came forward to caress his cheek. The action sent chills down her spine with its imitation kindness. Mr. Stark groaned and flinched back.

"Don't touch him," she whispered. Her voice echoed around the room and she wondered how large it was. The hand moved idly for a moment but lifted in surrender when she stepped forward. "What do you want?"

The man merely smiled and took out the remote from his pocket. Smiling he pressed the button and the sound tore through Mr. Stark and into her. She trembled and stepped forward.

"What do you want?" She said louder.

He continued to smile and laughed while pressing the button again. Mr. Stark's hands clenched tighter and she could see the blood dripping down from his fingers. His cries became screams the longer it went on and the laugh echoing simultaneously. She tried to move forward but a barrier stopped her. Peyton pounded on it trying to break through but nothing worked. His back rose away from the back of the chair but the restraints kept him in place. Peyton couldn't allow herself to stop and she continued to hit the wall. Her hands coming away bruised and bloody.

"Please, I'll do anything. Just tell me what you want." Her breath was in spurts and the man only smiled before stepping aside. Her eyes stayed trained on Mr. Stark. They took in the way his head fell to the front, like he couldn't hold it up anymore. Spit and blood fell from his now unseen lips.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark. I'm so sorry." He didn't look up and she was forced to stare at the other man. He stopped further to the side and Peyton was sure if she had eaten she would have vomited.

The fog moved once more and the corner was illuminated. The bodies were horrifying enough, their lips twisted unnaturally. The grey tony of their skin glowed against the harsh lights but it was their faces that stabbed Peyton. Her friends, her family's dead eyes stared up at her. The lights bounced off of their blank pupils. This time Peyton let her sobs project into the room like a disturbed battle cry. Her teeth ground together and her eyes couldn't leave theirs.

"What do you want?" Her voice rasped and felt foreign to her ears.

"Nothing, my dear girl. Nothing at all." He swung his fist around and hit Mr. Stark in the face. She was helpless and could only watch. She slumped against the invisible wall and sobbed.

"Peyton?" Her cries were getting harder, she couldn't hear over the sound of fist hitting flesh.

She looked up but the barrier was black now. The room fluctuated around her, leaving her alone.

"Peyton?"

Not a dull, matte black but it was almost alive.

"Peyton, sweetheart."

The blackness was deep, alive and it encompassed everything around her. She wanted to crawl into it. To become apart of it.

"Peyton!"

Her surrounding compressed, sucking her into a tight ball. It squeezed her until she couldn't breath then they exploded out and bright light hit her eyes.

"What?" She said weakly.

"Oh my gosh. She's awake. May she's awake."

"Peyton? Sweet P? Are you okay?" She couldn't see past the light but heard movements around her. Peyton flinched back into the soft material behind her. Hands touched her forehead and she clenched her eyes shut.

"It's May, Peyton. It's your aunt."

"May?" Her aunt's face was stricken with lines, with worry.

"Are you okay?" She couldn't say anything, just shook her head until she gasped and rose up.

"May!" She lunged forward to grasp her hand. "You, are you okay? I saw. I saw!"

"Sweetie. You're okay. I'm okay."

"They had everyone and Mr. Stark. They have him. They have him!" Her aunt pursed her lips and looked over her shoulder, talking to someone.

"Peyton. I'm sure Tony is okay."

"No, no, no, no!" Her hands came up to clench in her hair. Peyton knew what she saw. She could still feel the aching in her hands from pounding to get to him, could feel the empty feeling welling up inside her at being in the grey room again.

"Nat… should do?" Her mind was fuzzy but she knew that she had to find Mr. Stark. She tried to get up but her aunt pushed her back down. Why wouldn't her aunt understand?

"I have to find him." She whispered to herself.

The couch, she realized that was what she was laying on, was soft around her but offered no comfort. There was something wrong with her vision. It was thinner and fuzzy around the edges. She wanted to tell May but felt to weak to form the words so she kept her eyes closed. Tried to let the harsh breaths even out but her lungs also weren't cooperating. Peyton heard voices around her but she couldn't focus.

The couch dipped and the weight had her tipping forward slightly. A calloused hand wiped under her eyes making her face wet.

"Sweetheart?" She swam toward the voice, the one that should have been sore from screaming. The first thing she noticed was his face was clean. His eyes narrowed in concern but the warmth of his hands didn't leave the sides of her face and she nestled into them afraid this was the dream.

"Mr. Stark?" She said weakly.

"I'm here, Peyton. "

"They… he had you. And I was so worried. I couldn't get you out. I couldn't save you!" She shuddered and he pulled her into his embrace. His scent wafted to her nose and she hurried it deeper into his chest needing to feel close to him.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Stark."

"There is nothing, nothing at all to apologize for. I'm always here for you."

She shuddered again and went limp against the strong arms around her. Some rational part of her mind realized it had been a dream, realized it was fantasy and this was real but her clenched fists in his shirt didn't get the memo. They grasped at the material, keeping him close to her, making sure he wouldn't disappear again. She spoke in a soft whisper, not sure if she wanted him to hear but needing to say it out loud.

"I couldn't save anyone and then there was this blackness. For a moment it swallowed me whole and I, I never wanted to come out again. It was horrible but I was so scared to leave, to find everyone gone." Her arms rubbed her back. It wasn't the awkward way he used to comfort her back then. This was sure and real. Peyton realized she needed to tell him. To say it now while she had the chance.

"I love you, Mr. Stark."

His hand froze for a second but not enough for Peyton to feel awkward. He squeezed her tighter and kissed her head. Peyton knew how he felt. He showed her through his actions and didn't want him to say it out of some misplaced obligation. She was glad she spoke it out loud.

Her eyes were heavy now but she tried to keep them open. Peyton could feel her eyelashes opening and closing against his shirt material. His presence calmed her and the remnants of the dream faded into the back of her mind. This time when blackness overcame her it was warm and peaceful. With Mr. Stark beside her, watching over her, she slept.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who has taken part of this journey! I hope you continue to enjoy.

Let me know what you think of this latest chapter or the story as a whole, please!


	25. Chapter Twenty-five

Hi Friends! Hope you are doing well! :)

* * *

Peyton's eyes snapped open. She could feel the pounding in her chest reverberate throughout the cavity where it resided but heedless of the motion she remained still. Sleep clung to her like the winter creeps into springtime. The only thing in her sight was the ceiling, which was speckled and the paint peeled back in the left corner. From the angle where she was reclined Peyton could see the slight bowing in the ceiling from a water leakage in the apartment above them.

The people upstairs, The Carlos family, hadn't been able to fix it in time and their ceiling was permanently shaped because of it. The curve bugged May to no end but Peyton thought that it added more character to their apartment. It was where her family habituated, where they loved. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it was theirs. Now May never said anything about the ceiling but Peyton would catch her scowling at it when she had a bad day.

It wasn't a total black stain on their home either. Her and May became friends with the family. All their children were grown and moved out so they asked Peyton to watch their cat when they were on vacation and always brought treats down for them, too. It was nice knowing someone in the building. It made the place seem less isolating.

A rustling sound brought Peyton out of her musings and, making sure to stay quiet, Peyton turned her head to face the room. Her heart released fuzzy feeling into her chest as she spied her aunt and Nat asleep on the smaller couch across the room. The couch was pushed against the wall and the two were both kind of tipped over. May's head was resting on Nat's shoulder with the other resting on May's head. Peyton did not envy the sore muscles they would have when they woke up but their faces were unlined in rest.

Peyton started stretching her back and arms when she flexed her hand, immediately freezing. There was something in her hand. She moved her head forward and the muscles in the back of her neck trembled trying to catch a look. She spotted a tuft of brown hair from over the couch edge and making sure to keep her trapped hand relaxed she stretched her legs to get a better view. Mr. Stark's head was bent, leaning backwards against the couch. His mouth, which always seemed to be in movement, was similarly open in sleep but quiet. Peyton stifled a giggle at the line of drool down the side of his mouth.

She realized he must have slept beside her on the floor the whole night and looked back at their hands ignoring the heat seeping up her neck. Peyton wondered why he was there when so different from the creeping mist in her dream she remembered. The memories came flooding back and she was relived that it was just a dream. Her head flopped back onto the pillow. The terror she experienced was so real and the helplessness threatened to overcome her once again. The hand resting in her own was the only thing keeping her grounded in the living room.

Peyton had been doing well since leaving the Tower. At least, she thought she was. School was at the forefront of her mind and keeping her grades was important to her and May. She finally made some more time for Ned outside of school. They hit the final level of their game at last and were going to spend a night next week eating snacks and beating it. One of the benefits of May's raise was that her aunt could spend more time with her. They started exploring the city, picking up the tradition her and Ben used to do. How the city had changed since she was little. May took them to a cat café the other week and sitting there on the ground petting a sleeping cat was about the most relaxing thing Peyton had done in a while. She still was bothered by dreams but through the meditations she was proud that she wasn't waking May up anymore. It was something she needed to work on.

Even after all of the good that was happening around her a sly voice whispered the truth to her whenever her defenses were down. A truth she didn't want to hear. Although all her homework was in on time, her motivation was lacking. Her and Ned talked regularly but more often than not she found herself distracted and losing track of their conversations. Her patrols were difficult lately as well. The distractions in her everyday life bled over to her daily outings. It was like an itch that she couldn't scratch.

The night before last she was swinging around the city. Her heart hadn't been in it and the feeling of the wind moving through her body or rather her body slicing through the air was so freeing that Peyton, loath as she was to admit it, was more focused on her thoughts than looking for danger in the city.

She rounded a corner, focusing on her form to increase her speed and streamline her body to curve the corner as tightly and fast as possible. She closed her eyes when the building seemed to rise up out of nowhere. The tall cement walls shot out from the bottom of her sightline and she landed against it, dropping straight down until she caught herself by the tips of her fingers. Her breath halted in her chest before panting in and out, causing her lips to dry out.

Peyton hung there with one arm stretched above her and let the brick rest on her forehead, the mask the only thing in between her and the wall. Her arm started to strain and she forced herself up, swinging to the top of the building while pushing through the trembling in her muscles. There was a secluded corner behind some vents that she hid behind. Peyton didn't know how long she sat there with her head resting on her knees. Her eyes stared unseeing at the darkness between her raised legs.

As she lay on the couch she squeezed her eyes shut. While the memory wasn't one of her worst she tried to block it out. Block out how the dark sky and cold breeze surrounded her until she was numb. How with shaking legs she made her way home ignoring the calls on her phone from her aunt and the calls of the city.

Peyton didn't realize she was crying until gentle hands swiped her cheeks. Hastily she opened them trying to see through the watery obstacles. Mr. Stark held out a handkerchief. Her face flushed and she rose to sit up, wiping her eyes. She smiled at the initials embroidered in the corner. The threading wasn't perfect and suddenly the image of him hemming her sleeves came to mind. The thought of Mr. Stark laboring on a handkerchief made her giggle and she ignored the raised eyebrow from the man next to her.

He sat there staring ahead at her aunt and Nat. They stayed quiet as they sat. Her eyes were heavy and she leaned her head against his shoulder, smiling when she felt a weight a top of her now bent head. The hazy morning sun slowly crept into the room and Peyton's eyes blinked closed as her breaths deepened. Sleep didn't take her but it was nice to relax, to just not think and be for a moment.

The weight above her shifted slightly and she noticed that Mr. Stark was rubbing his neck. She cringed when she the popping noise coming from the bone.

"I say we make breakfast. What do you think?"

His eyebrows rose but a smile appeared as he assented. Careful not to wake the other occupants of the room they went to the kitchen. Peyton grabbed out the ingredients and lined them up on the counter. She looked over her shoulder to see Mr. Stark standing in the middle of the room. His clothes were wrinkled from sleeping and still looked far too nice to be in her kitchen let alone cooking breakfast. His slight frown turned deeper when she handed him a measuring cup.

"So, we're going to make waffles." She smiled at his helpless expression and pushed the bag of flour toward him. "Two cups of flour in the bowl, please."

They commenced making breakfast, only spilling a few ingredients in the process. Their laughter must have woken May and Nat up because the women shuffled into the kitchen with tired eyes, which widened in shock as they stared at their flour ridden faces and crumbs scattering the floor. The waffles were golden and they sat and ate around the small table. Although, Mr. Stark's clothes looked strange in the kitchen for some reason she thought they didn't look strange in this setting, with the company around him. In fact, the other three people at the table felt so naturally she would have thought they had breakfast together everyday.

Peyton's eyes roamed around the room spotting the picture of Ben, May, and her. She remembered the day with fondness instead of tears. Her eyes drifted back to the table and landed on May. Peyton thought her smile was a little wider today, more reaching into her eyes than usual.

Their talking and sporadic laughter filtered around her and Peyton closed her eyes. She thanked the world silently. The love for her aunt who never wavered in the face of adversity and was always there for Peyton (even when she was being difficult) poured out of her. She was grateful for Nat. Their very own guardian angel who could go from literally saving the day to helping pick which outfit to wear to school. It was nice to think that maybe her and May also helped Nat open up more and experience new things. Lastly, she watched as Mr. Stark erupted in laughter when someone made a joke. His eyes sparkled as he poured more syrup over his waffles.

She remembered her hand shaking when she opened the door to The Split Bean. Her eyes found him right away sitting alone at a table, but she couldn't bring herself to walk over yet. Peyton stood in line imagining the different ways she should introduce herself while her eyes continuously flitted over to him. This meeting had only been apart of her wildest fantasies for her life and she hoped beyond hope that it would go well. That this was actually real. She wished he could see her for who she was and not what people assumed she was.

With a deep breath she walked over to the table. He didn't look up and she shifted her feet that wanted to run away before he could reject her. She cleared her throat and for the first time Peyton looked into his brown eyes without any barriers between them. They swirled with confusion and he made to leave.

Something swarmed inside of her and she spoke hoping to keep him seated. He lowered back down and she saw the realization in his widened eyes. Her voice betrayed her and she couldn't tell if she was glad for it. Mr. Stark sat in silence and she let him process. An itch made its way through her limbs and she shifted her feet again. The embarrassment manifested across her face in bright red and she all but threw the scone in his face wanting to break the silence with some action. The result was that he looked even more perplexed

At once she was filled with worry. What if he was allergic? What if he didn't want anything and she forced it on him? He spoke so kindly, though, and never turned her away. Instead, he offered her a seat and, even more unusual, steered around any questions about Spidergirl and asked about her day. He asked about her, not Spidergirl. Before she realized what was happening they were having as normal a conversation as her nerves would allow. She was having coffee with Tony Stark after all.

Her face drained of color at him thinking she didn't want to help. Peyton knew that's what she should have started off by saying. Nothing could stop her from helping and she had to say it. She had to tell Mr. Stark that she was on his side after reading all the documents. The resulting furrow of his eyebrows and silence was answer enough. He thought that everything was his fault; that the Accords and resulting rift were because of him. Peyton was proud that she spoke up, that she offered her help. There was a faint pink tinge to his skin and she knew that she said the right thing.

They shook hands, finally introducing themselves to each other, and they weren't Iron Man and Spidergirl anymore but two people meeting and getting to know each other.

Sitting at the table she was surprised by how much she noticed now. By the slight squinting in his left eye Peyton could tell he was tired but the teeth wide smile showed how content he was. How relaxed he was because his eyes didn't scan the room like they normally did when he was upset.

Peyton smiled at the table as she helped herself to more strawberries. This family that she was apart of were fractured. All of them separately faced more trials than anyone should in their whole lives but somehow they found their way to each other. They found a safe place. Looking at their faces over breakfast Peyton was reminded of how far they had all come. She had yearned for someone to care but had ended up with so much more.

_End of Part One_

* * *

I can't believe how far this story has come. It was my first foray into writing fan fiction and I have fallen in love with it. There are not enough words in order to do justice to the appreciation I feel for everyone who has taken part in this process in any and every way. Simply, thank you.

As you can see this is the end of part one of Peyton and her family's journey. I have the second part plotted out but want to participate in whumptober (my first one)!

Until then you can find me on tumblr at Elizabeth-234.

Thank you all again. As always, let me know what you think, please!


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